Category: Crime, Corrections, Law Enforcement
-
Cop Killer’s Release on Hold
by Kerry Dougherty Looks like Vincent Martin can unpack his bags. The convicted cop killer is going to spend at least another 30 days in a cell, despite the best efforts of Gov. Ralph Northam’s parole board to set him free. Martin, 64, was scheduled to be sprung yesterday, but at the last minute the…
-
COVID-19 Not a Reason to Release Prison Inmates
by Hans Bader Criminals are being released from jail due to the coronavirus pandemic, especially in progressive states. But states should think twice. Letting criminals out won’t save lives. Instead, it will spread the disease far and wide, and increase the crime rate, including murders and rapes. Supporters of releasing criminals say it will protect…
-
Virginia’s Parole Board Frees Another Killer
by Kerry Dougherty Well. They did it again. Virginia’s Parole Board released another murderer. This may be the most psychotic killer yet. And, no, these hairballs are not being released because of the COVID-19 virus. The Department of Corrections is freeing non-violent criminals nearing the end of their sentences. This is the soft-on-crime Parole Board…
-
Parole Board Frees Another Killer
by Kerry Dougherty Last week we told you about Debra Scribner, the woman convicted of first degree murder in 2012 and released from prison earlier this month thanks to Gov. Ralph Northam’s let-em-all-out parole board. This lucky lady served just eight years of her 23-year, 6-months sentence. She’s now back at her home on the…
-
Getting Out of Prison Early
By Dick Hall-Sizemore As part of the response to the novel coronavirus crisis, the General Assembly accepted amendments to the budget bills for the current year and the upcoming biennium, proposed by the Governor, authorizing the Department of Corrections (DOC) to release early from incarceration offenders with less than a year to serve on their…
-
Parole Board Frees Murderers
by Kerry Dougherty In 2012, Debra Scribner, 58, was convicted of first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a murder in connection with the shooting death of her son-in-law Eric Wynn in Halifax County. She was sentenced to 23 years in prison plus 6 months.…
-
COVID-19 in Prison
By Dick Hall-Sizemore The latest DOC report shows an increase in the number of offenders testing positive for the novel coronavirus. There were a total of 147 incarcerated with a positive test, with nine of those in a hospital, compared to 116 and 8, respective, in the prior day’s report. Central Virginia Correctional Unit, the…
-
Juvenile Center New COVID-19 Hotspot
By Dick Hall-Sizemore The Department of Juvenile Justice has announced that 25 juvenile offenders have tested positive for COVID-19. That is 12.5% of the population of 200 housed at the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center in Chesterfield County. The announcement was made only after advocates for juveniles cited reports of numerous offenders in the facility…
-
Richmond Assault Stats Up — Cabin Fever or Random Variation?
Some people of my acquaintance have wondered what the COVID-19 epidemic might do to the thin veneer of civilization that we Americans take so for granted. When people are living cooped up for weeks on end — with the prospect of social distancing extending for several months more — how will they behave? Will we…
-
Early Prisoner Release Will Not Help Much
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Ralph Northam has announced that he will ask the General Assembly for authority to release from prison those offenders with a year or less to serve on their sentences in order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in prisons. He stressed that only those who have demonstrated good behavior and…
-
Virginia Jails and Prisons Brace for Pandemic
by a contributing writer Fears of COVID-19 outbreaks among prisoners and correctional employees have begun to be realized. Department of Corrections efforts to mitigate infections have been notably effective, yet confirmed cases now include 13 inmates and five staff, as well as one inmate in the Fairfax County jail. Dozens more are being monitored. Given…
-
How Virginia Would Fare Under President Biden, Part 1
By DJ Rippert And then there were two. Today, Elizabeth Warren announced that she will withdraw from the presidential race. That leaves Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard (yes, she’s still running) as the remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination. Given that Tulsi Gabbard has exactly one delegate (from American Samoa where she was…
-
Drugs in Prison
By Dick Hall-Sizemore The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) finds itself in a classic dammed-if-you-do, damned –if-you-don’t situation. On the one hand, it is facing a surge in illegal drugs coming into its prisons, enabled by drugs that are increasingly difficult to detect. On the other hand, it is facing popular and legislative outrage at…
-
“Insane” Virginia Bill Will Endanger Kids
by Kerry Dougherty Just when you thought the new left-wing majority in Richmond couldn’t get any crazier, they do this: Abolish the requirement that school principals report to law enforcement any student who commits sexual battery. Boneheaded. Dangerous, too. There’s more. If HB257 becomes law school administrators will no longer be required to call…
-
Three Bad Bills
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Each session there are bills that are introduced probably with the best of intentions and approved for those reasons, but are basically bad policy and are likely to have unintended consequences. They are not “big” bills and do not generate headlines, but skate under the radar. I want to highlight three that…