Criminal Justice

Last year, Virginia spent well over a billion dollars on corrections – keeping nearly 24,000 people in prison, and the bill is about to get much bigger as that population ages. Sandy Hausman reports on what we can expect in the years to come and how the state is preparing to care for elderly and sometimes demented inmates behind bars.

Two years ago, lawmakers approved a bill that made it possible for prisoners to earn early release by following the rules and taking part in various programs. Now, however, Governor Youngkin has amended the budget in a way that will bar many of them from consideration.

Virginia has not offered parole to people convicted of crimes since 1995. But about 2,500 men and women were convicted of breaking the law before then, and they could still win early release if the parole board feels they pose no threat to society.

When a parent goes to prison, they’re not the only one being punished. Their children may also suffer, and when Mom or Dad is released, returning to family life may be difficult. Virginia offers several programs to help incarcerated people become full-time parents again.

The Department of Juvenile Justice's undertaking of major reforms succeeded in serving more youth in the community rather than in secure confinement, the head of the General Assembly’s watchdog agency told lawmakers Monday, but during a presentation researchers noted racial inequities still persisted.

Data released by the Virginia State Police shows a wide disparity in the rate at which Black drivers are involved in traffic stops when compared to their…

Although no one interfered with an Office of the State Inspector General investigation of the Virginia Parole Board, its lead investigator on a…

Legislators approved a budget amendment funding an independent investigation into the Office of the State Inspector General Wednesday, as Republican…

The Northam administration defended its position in the developing parole board controversy during a news conference Tuesday, saying there was a political…

For teachers, the pandemic has posed a big challenge-- how to educate without putting students at risk of sickness. But for one law professor at the…