Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 27, 1994 TAG: 9409270134
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE AND KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Those were two of the loudest messages voiced Monday night at public hearings in Roanoke and Blacksburg on Gov. George Allen's proposal to abolish parole for violent offenders.
About 100 people turned out for the public hearing at Virginia Western Community College, and many of the people said the same thing: Allen's proposal is too expensive and will hurt the future of education.
"As a father of four children ... I want to know what this is going to cost and who's going to pay for it," said Tom Blaylock, a local attorney and former Roanoke County commonwealth's attorney. "We need more money for prevention at the front end, rather than the back end."
Blaylock was the first of more than 40 people to address the Western Virginia legislators, who, along with the rest of the General Assembly, return to Richmond today to resume a special session dealing with the parole issue.
About 80 people attended the hearing at Virginia Tech, and most speakers there were just as vocal in supporting education over incarceration.
Virginia Jurisson Reilly, who works in Tech's Dean of Students' office, urged the panel not to pay for parole abolition through deeper education cuts.
Reilly's father, D.B. Jurisson, was a well-known Christiansburg dentist who was slain 12 years ago and whose killer has never been charged.
"Although that night completely changed the future of my family, the last thing I want now is to build more prisons and abolish parole," Reilly said.
"The man who killed my father may have been on parole, but I strongly believe that man would not have committed a life-ending act for another man's wallet if he had had a quality education."
A pro-education position was supported at the Roanoke hearing by a Botetourt County School Board member, two members of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, a Roanoke City Council member, local ministers, several retired schoolteachers, workers at Roanoke's Total Action Against Poverty and the superintendent of Roanoke County Schools.
All spoke against abolishing parole, despite assurances from state Secretary of Education Bev Sgro, who said at the meeting in Roanoke that education wouldn't suffer under Allen's plan.
One of the most compelling stories against Allen's plan came from Frederick Adams, a 25-year-old Roanoke man who is on parole. Adams told the General Assembly members - led by Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Roanoke County - that he was released on parole in January 1991 after serving 19 months for selling drugs.
He's now working full time for a local recycling company and "is a contributing member to society."
Without parole, Adams said he still would be in prison.
But Marilynn Crisp of Rural Retreat, who spoke at the Blacksburg hearing, argued that parole abolition is necessary and "the results will be worth the cost."
"Law-enforcement officers risk their lives every day ... only to have the criminals back on the streets within hours doing their dastardly deeds," said Crisp, who told the panel she was sexually assaulted by an armed intruder in November 1991.
Today's laws benefit the accused, not victims, she said.
"Because of our liberal lawyers and judges, our system is failing everybody."
Allen's plan also had a few supporters in Roanoke.
One of the most vocal was Samuel J. Wallin, who accused Cranwell of manipulating the hearing against Allen's plan.
"I think it's disgraceful the way you have handled this," he told Cranwell.
Wallin, whose aunt was murdered in Baltimore by a man on parole, was upset that nearly the first dozen speakers were against abolishing parole - a position Wallin said Cranwell supports.
"I am appalled at the way liberal politicians in our commonwealth's legislature have bottled up Governor Allen's efforts to deal with violent crime," he said. "He was elected by a landslide majority, promising to work to abolish parole."
Rob Hagan, Botetourt County's commonwealth attorney, also said it's time for the General Assembly to get tough with criminals and stop allowing them to serve just a fraction of their jail sentences.
"Truth in sentencing is long overdue," he said. "We've been lying to the people of the commonwealth too long."
Montgomery County Sheriff's Capt. George Keyes, who oversees the county jail, said state officials must consider the impact low or no parole is having on local jails.
Across Virginia, jails meant to house local inmates are keeping prisoners meant for the state longer and longer because the state has no room for them.
The Montgomery County jail had 116 inmates last Friday, 50 more than its recommended capacity of 66. More than 40 of those prisoners already should have been absorbed into the state system.
"We cannot say `No, no more, we're full,' or post a no-vacancy sign like the state does," Keyes said.
by CNB