Virginia Parole Board

Description

The Virginia Parole Board works concurrently with the Office of Victim Services to provide to the victim information concerning an offender's release, escape and parole eligibility.

It is the position of the parole board to advocate for victim rights as required by law to contact victims of crimes and seek their input concerning the impact that the release of a prisoner on discretionary parole would have upon them (the victim). Crime victims can present physical, emotional and economic impact of the crime to the parole board by letter, telephone or by appointment with a board member. All these positions are taken into consideration by the board in making its decision as to whether or not to grant parole.

How it works.
Parole is the agreement between the parole board & offender in which the offender agree to abide by specific conditions in return for the opportunity to serve the reminder of his or her sentence under supervision of the community.

Two types of parole...Discretionary & Mandatory.

Discretionary parole is voted upon by parole board members to either free or keep offender before completion of their sentence. Parole board reviews all available information before determining if the offender is a suitable candidate for parole.

Mandatory parole is established by law, whereas an offender is automatically release 6 months before completion of the sentence. The parole board is not involve in this type of parole.

The Department of Corrections determines the date when an offender is considered eligible for parole through a complex formula involving length of sentence, institutional adjustment, program involvement and previous commitments to Virginia's correctional system. The Department of Corrections than notifies the parole board of an offender's eligibility date. The parole board then notifies the victim of the upcoming parole date and the victim, family and friends state their opposition regarding the release of the offender.