The Roanoke Times
RICHMOND â Lawmakers passed legislation Saturday clarifying how the Virginia Parole Board handles releasing people from prisons, but a Republican senator who has been pushing for more transparency said the measure allows Gov. Ralph Northam to avoid immediately addressing problems with the board.
The administration-backed legislation would require the board to publish more information about people it releases on its website, such as why it granted someone parole. There also would be more clarity on the timeline for when the Department of Corrections can release an inmate.
The legislation is modeled somewhat off a proposal that Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, has been pushing for since the fall. Obenshain said the bill headed to the governorâs desk doesnât include important elements he advocated for that would address issues with the board, including ensuring the parole board complied with the law before the Department of Corrections released the inmate. He was also critical of the delayed implementation of the changes by a year, saying that allows Northam, a Democrat, to duck accountability for the board through the end of his term. Northam appoints the five members of the board, which includes Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea.