Parole in Virginia

prisoners over 60 years old still can get parole
Source: Virginia Parole Board, Petition For Geriatric Conditional Release

In 2019, there were 30,000 people in prison and slightly less than 2,000 people on parole in Virginia.

In 1995, Virginia ended the practice of granting parole to prisoners and allowing them to leave prison before completing all of their sentence. Juries are told that parole is not an option.

The law was not retroactive, so prisoners who had been sentenced before the law went into effect remained eligible for parole. In addition, the Parole Board in Virginia still grants parole to those sentenced under the Youthful Offenders Act, and to prisoners at least 60 years old who have been incarcerated at least 10 years or prisoners over 65 with at least 5 years behind bars.

The Associated Press reported in 2019:1

Since 2014, of the approximately 2,900 applications for geriatric parole, 147 - about 5% - have been granted, the data indicated. Of the 151 inmates older than 80 who have applied for parole, six have been granted...

The oldest inmate to apply for parole was 92 years old; he was denied. Of the 182 inmates under 21 who have applied for parole, four have been granted.

Crime and Punishment in Virginia

Prisons in Virginia

Links

• Virginia Parole Board
• Virginia Rules
• Introduction to Juvenile Justice in Virginia

References

1. "While paroles are up in Virginia, they remain rare," Associated Press, December 18, 2019, https://apnews.com/14f176748664c6607cdc977faf16e8bb (last checked December 19, 2019)