Criminal Justice System

It’s been nearly two years since Virginia abolished the death penalty, but some people are still dealing with its consequences. Russell Ford was a minister who accompanied 28 men to the electric chair, and he’s written a memoir about that experience.

The effort to ban solitary confinement in Virginia has run into some opposition.

Virginia does not offer parole to people convicted of crimes after 1995, but a bill in the general assembly could give inmates a path to early release. Sandy Hausman reports on that measure and on one man hoping it will be approved.

A new poll shows voters support recent changes to criminal justice in Virginia.

Vendor contracts at Virginia’s prisons have been coming under scrutiny.People locked up in local and regional jails also have to pay similar fees for phone calls and other items. And it’s been even harder for a General Assembly work group to get a clear picture of costs.

The holidays are prime eating time for most Americans –even as food prices have risen, but some prisoners here in Virginia say they’re going hungry. They claim the quality of meals is terrible, portions are inadequate and food prices at the canteen are up.

It’s been ten years since inmates at the Fluvanna Correctional Center sued the state for failure to provide decent medical care. They claimed things were so bad that the Department of Corrections was guilty of cruel and unusual punishment. Virginia agreed to a settlement, but lawyers say the state has not fulfilled its promises in five key areas.

Virginia's juvenile justice system is about to get a makeover.

Virginia’s prison population is on the decline. But it trails the national average and some other states.

It makes sense that Virginia’s more populous localities have more people in prisons or jails.But a new study shows smaller cities and counties have lost an even bigger percentage of their populations.