Eight of ten felons up for consideration walked away with parole on Thursday, as Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's parole board continued a release pace far steeper than the one set under her predecessor. The felons granted parole included people convicted of murder, rape, robbery and child abuse, with some having decades remaining on life sentences.
Among those released was a man who had served 33 years of three life sentences for cutting power to an elderly couple's home, breaking in and murdering them, according to WJLA. The grandson of the murdered couple had pleaded with the board not to release the man, the outlet reported. The board also released a bank robber who shot at people and another man who had served 28 years for stabbing a family member in the head.
Three convicted rapists and predators were also granted parole at Thursday's meeting, per the same report. One of them had admitted he did not participate in rehabilitation treatment and programming while incarcerated, a detail that drew particular alarm from the outlet's reporting on the session.
A Sharp Climb Since May
Thursday's releases are part of a broader pattern that has taken shape since the board's first meeting in May. WJLA's review found the board has granted parole in 48 of 205 discretionary and geriatric cases it has considered, or almost one in four — a rate the outlet contrasted sharply with the record under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose parole board granted parole to fewer than two in 100 felons who requested it.
The station separately reported that Spanberger's board has approved around 10% of parole requests since she reshaped it, and that roughly 1% of inmates were granted parole during Youngkin's tenure — figures that differ from the 48-of-205 count but point in the same direction of a steep increase. Spanberger appointed all new members to the board after her election, naming Shannon Dion, Valerie Boykin, Kecia Brothers Hayes, Tyrone Nelson and Kevin White in March, according to the station's reporting.
Victims Voice Alarm
Paige Meade, a sexual-assault survivor and victims' advocate who was victimized by a serial rapist in Prince William County in 1992, told WJLA that the release rate of violent offenders is horrifying and should make Virginians afraid for their safety. The man who attacked her received two life sentences plus 20 years and has come up for parole since 2009, the outlet reported. Meade said she is concerned he may be released under Spanberger's administration and parole board.
A separate victim raised similar concerns to WSET, saying the board is approving significantly more parole requests than Youngkin's board did. 7News reported it asked Spanberger's office both whether the governor approves of the board granting more parole requests than her predecessor's and what she thinks of its recent actions. As of publication, the governor's office had not responded to those questions.
Pressure Building on the System
The surge in releases comes as lawmakers have already been weighing whether Virginia's parole system needs changes. State Sens. Dave Marsden and Danny Diggs said they backed a study to examine how the system could be modified, according to VPM. Both lawmakers agreed any potential changes would take time and said a state study would provide key information for future legislation.
Under Virginia law, the Virginia Parole Board has authority to grant or deny parole, detain parole violators and revoke parole, according to the Commonwealth of Virginia. State code also requires that each parole decision statement include the prisoner's name, offense, jurisdiction, sentence details, time served, and individualized reasons for the outcome, along with the final vote and the names of members voting for and against release, per the Code of Virginia. Separately, state statute specifies that nothing prohibits the board from basing its final determination on the individual facts and circumstances of each prisoner.
