At some point, most inmates in Virginia’s prisons will be released into society. Therefore, the public has an interest in both the financial and social costs of lengthy prison sentences.

The abolition of parole in Virginia, coupled with a reduction in the rate inmates can earn sentence credits, has extended the prison time that most serve.

In 1994, the rate at which “good time” or sentence credits could be earned was reduced to a maximum of 4.5 days for every 30 days served. Prior law allowed up to 30 days of credit for adhering to prison rules and policies for every 30 days served.

Legislation to increase the maximum “good time” was tabled during the 2013 General Assembly session. The bill, HB 1989, would have increased the sentence credit from 4.5 days to 15 days per 30 days served. The state Department of Planning and Budget’s fiscal impact statement for similar legislation in 2009 stated that “there would be significant savings in future projected costs” if “good time” was increased.

In the past, federal grant funds made under the 1994 Truth in Sentencing Act provided states with a financial incentive to reduce sentence credits. The grants were predicated on a requirement that inmates serve at least 85 percent of their state sentence before becoming eligible for release on parole.

However, Congress discontinued funding for the Truth in Sentencing grants in 2002, placing a substantial financial burden on Virginia and other states that continue to adhere to strict limits on sentence credits.

As of 2014, the annual cost of incarcerating an inmate in Virginia was $27,462, according to the state Department of Corrections’ Annual Report.

Given the state’s current budget constraints, wouldn’t it make sense to reinstate parole and increase the amount of “good time” inmates can earn in order to reduce the huge cost of state prisons that we taxpayers must now bear?

MARGARET PRIDGEN

Charlottesville