ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280096
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: LAURA LAFAY LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
The Virginia Senate on Tuesday killed a bill that would have guaranteed journalists the right to enter the state's prisons to interview and photograph willing inmates.
Under its present policy, the Department of Corrections denies almost every such request in a form letter asserting that ``the presence of outsiders, photographers and reporters impedes prison staff from dealing with other more important priorities.''
The prison-access bill would have allowed reporters and photographers inside the prisons, but gave wide discretion to Prisons Director Ron Angelone about the circumstances and rules surrounding such visits.
But the bill was passionately denounced on the Senate floor by half a dozen lawmakers who claimed it would allow ``violent murderers'' to ``call press conferences to complain about ... not being able to watch their favorite TV shows,'' ``compromise security'' and force ``victims and the parents of victims'' to watch talk shows featuring Virginia murderers discussing their methods and motives.
``I would suggest to all of you that they [the inmates] had their chance to tell their stories in a court of law,'' said Sen. Marty Williams, R-Newport News. ``I would suggest to those who think our jails are full of victims, they're not. They're full of predators.''
Sen. Henry Marsh, D-Richmond, argued in favor of the bill, insisting that ``the citizens of Virginia have a right to know what's going on inside their prisons.''
Del. Jay DeBoer, D-Petersburg, expressed bitterness after the bill's defeat. ``The [Allen] administration wanted this bill dead and it got its way,'' he said. ``The administration wants little scrutiny into its prisons by the media and by the legislators.''
Two other states - California and Illinois - have banned journalists from prisons. Both are facing legal challenges.
Virginia has 43 prisons housing 24,851 inmates, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Amy Miller said Tuesday. Nine more prisons are under construction. Allen has asked for $577 million to operate the Department of Corrections during the current biennium.
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB