HB1589: Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties, membership, voting requirements, etc.

Legislative Summary

Powers and duties of Parole Board; voting requirements; meetings. Removes various references to postrelease supervision and instead includes such references and related procedures in the provisions that govern probation so that such procedures, including revocation hearings, will be overseen and conducted by the sentencing court. The bill provides that except for a public meeting convened for conducting the final deliberation and vote regarding whether the Parole Board will grant parole to a prisoner, a meeting of the Parole Board members, regardless of whether such members invite staff or other guests to participate in such meeting, shall not be deemed a meeting subject to the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.The bill also provides that the final deliberation and vote of whether to grant parole to a person serving life imprisonment for murder in the first degree shall be attended by four or more members of the Parole Board, and a decision to grant such person discretionary parole shall require the concurrence of four or more members present. A final deliberation and vote of whether to grant parole to a person not sentenced to life imprisonment requires the attendance of a panel of no fewer than three members of the Parole Board and a concurrence of the majority of members present for such final deliberation and vote.