RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s enhanced earned sentence credits program is facing scrutiny as victims’ families join Attorney General Jason Miyares in calling for reform, while supporters defend the initiative as an effective rehabilitation tool.
Before 2020, offenders in Virginia were required to serve 85% of their sentences. However, a law passed by the General Assembly and signed by former Governor Ralph Northam changed this requirement, allowing inmates to earn up to 180 days off their sentence for each year served, effectively reducing their time to about 66% of the original sentence.
Democratic lawmakers note they modeled this approach after similar initiatives in conservative states like Texas, believing it provides important incentives for rehabilitation…