Serious Nature of the Crime

By: jen66fr
Published On: 3/22/2007 4:24:20 PM

I have friends and loved ones incarcerated in Virginia state prisons. This past session the House introduced a bill to take away the parole denial reasoning of the seriousness of the crime. The seriousness of the crime is not a reason, says Helen Fahee...of the parole board, but a "guideline". However it is the most prominant reason an inmate is denied parole, regardless of how much of his sentence he has lived out.I have spoken to or sent emails to every governing body that I can think of, from Jim Webb, on down. It isn't that I think people shouldn't be punished for their crimes. But the punishment should be equal. And once you are denied parole for the serious nature of the crime, how can you improve? The initial crime can't change. HOw do I go about getting enough people behind this to make a DIFFERENCE? GOv. Tim Kaine advised me to contact my legislator, which I did. I got no response. Where can I go from here? Any advice would be helpful.

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