Below are two tables which indicate the impact on the rate of incarceration of prisoners in Virginia and on taxpayer costs of the abolishment of parole and other prison reforms enacted at the end of 1994 and in more recent years. The numbers reflect only the impact of increases in imprisonment rates and do not reflect increases due to additional imprisonment as a result of population growth. Dollar estimates are based on current costs in Virginia per prisoner year estimated by the Virginia Department of Corrections as $24,380.

For Virginia the cost impact since the end of 1994 is estimated at over $1.5 billion and currently in recent years is running around $140 to $180 million annually.

In other analysis by VA CURE, we found no impact on public safety or crime rates from this additional imprisonment, based on data from the past decade 2000-2010. Other than some anecdotal deterrence impact for offenders in prisons, states that lowered or only slightly increased incarceration rates in the past decade did as well if not better in lowering crime rates overall than states (including Virginia) that increased incarceration rates.

In effect we are suggesting that Virginia has not received much return on its $1.5 billion dollar investment in increasing the rate of imprisonment of its citizens from the end of 1994 through 2010. Crime rates have declined but this has occurred for reasons other than increased rates of imprisonment.