THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 14, 1995 TAG: 9510140268
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LAURA LAFAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Virginia's 10-month-old experiment with parole abolition will get national scrutiny when Court TV comes to town next week to tape a community forum on the subject.
The forum, titled ``Parole Reform: Will Our Streets Be Any Safer?'' is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
It was arranged by the Virginia Bar Association's Young Lawyer Division and will be co-sponsored by Cox Communications and Court TV.
``We concluded that this would be a topic that all types of people would be interested in,'' said Allan Parrott, a member of the Young Lawyer Division's forum committee.
``It's a broad-based issue. We thought that, because Virginia has taken a lead on this issue, it would be even more significant. It's becoming a real hot national topic and Virginia has been at the forefront of that movement.''
Led by Gov. George F. Allen, the General Assembly last year abolished parole for anyone arrested after Jan. 1 of this year.
The governor's parole board also cracked down on the parole grant rate, now down to about 14 percent. The measures have swelled the state's inmate population to almost 25,000, making prison construction one of the administration's top goals.
Wednesday's forum will be held in the Chrysler Museum Auditorium at 7 p.m. and will be conducted like a town meeting, Parrott said. Panelists will be Del. William P. Robinson Jr., D-Norfolk, who voted against abolishing parole; Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who voted in favor of it; Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Griffith; Norfolk Circuit Judge Everett A. Martin and Virginia Beach Sheriff Frank Drew.
``We felt like these five individuals give a broad perspective on the issue and are knowledgeable on the issue,'' Parrott said.
Court TV producer Scoot MacPherson said he heard about the forum from local cable affiliate, Cox Communications, and chose to film it because ``we like the issue. We like that the community has rallied behind it. . . . It's difficult sometimes to pick an issue. We like to have something that's current and relevant and this appeared to be so.''
Court TV plans to televise the meeting at some point in December, MacPherson said. ILLUSTRATION: DETAILS
``Parole Reform: Will Our Sreets Be Any Safer?'' is scheduled to
take place in the Chrysler Museum Auditorium at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Seating is limited, but those interested in attending should call
Betty Lampkins at 552-6576.
by CNB