Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Increases the members of the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) to at least 11 members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Governor within 60 days of inauguration, three of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates within 60 days after a new House is sworn in after an election, and three of whom shall be appointed by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules within 60 days after a new Senate is sworn in after an election, and all of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, if in session when such appointment is made, and if not in session, then at its next succeeding session. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, reentry and community services, or victim services and that the Board members appointed by the Governor shall include (i) an attorney with significant experience in criminal prosecution; (ii) an attorney with significant experience in criminal defense; (iii) a qualified mental health professional with relevant background in adolescent development, trauma responses, psychology, and decision-making; and (iv) a representative of a crime victims organization or a victim of crime. These provisions of the bill have an effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill also requires the Board to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to certain juvenile offenders eligible for parole and specifies various factors the Board shall consider when making a determination on whether to grant parole to such juvenile offender. The bill allows a juvenile offender to request for reconsideration or appeal of a decision by the Board not to grant parole based on (a) the Board's failure to give substantial weight to such juvenile offender's age and its related mitigating circumstances as required by the bill or (b) the Board's overreliance on static factors of the offense and failure to ground its decision in evidence of maturity, rehabilitation, and a lack of present danger to public safety. Finally, the bill requires the Board to provide individualized reasons for the grant or denial of parole upon reconsideration or appeal.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2.2-3707.02, 53.1-134, 53.1-136, 53.1-154, 53.1-155, 53.1-165.1
Public Safety Substitute: 53.1-134, 53.1-136, 53.1-154, 53.1-165.1, 53.1-155
Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Substitute: 53.1-134, 53.1-136, 53.1-154, 53.1-165.1, 53.1-155
Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute: 53.1-134, 53.1-136, 53.1-154, 53.1-155, 53.1-165.1