×
You've used up your 3 free articles for this month. Subscribe today.
Virginia Parole Board Changes “Three-Strikes” Interpretation
by David M. Reutter
Virginia’s parole board is changing a policy under which the state’s “three-strikes” law was used to deny parole to 262 prisoners who previously had never been incarcerated before their current charges. The change came on the heels of an investigative report by the Virginian-Pilot, …
Full article and associated cases available to subscribers.
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
More from this issue:
- Ex-Prisoner Awarded $150,000 after 'Savage Beating' Arranged by Guards, by Dale Chappell
- Fourth Circuit Reinstates Prisoner’s Lawsuit Over Denial of Rastafarian Services, by Matthew Clarke
- Wrongfully Convicted North Carolina Man Receives $4 Million
- Florida: DHS Snitch Busted for Trying to Sell Informant Status to Federal Prisoner, by Monte McCoin
- $550,000 Settlement for Georgia Prisoner Who Lost Leg Due to Improper Care
- BOP Director Resigns in Protest of Prison Reform Bill Clash, by Steve Horn
- Texas Prisons Stop Using Solitary Confinement as Punishment, but Thousands Kept in Administrative Segregation, by Matthew Clarke
- Fifth Circuit Holds Denial of Diabetic Diet During Lockdowns States Claim, by Matthew Clarke
- Confidential Settlement by Corizon in Arizona Prisoner’s Death from Untreated Flu
- Settlement Ends Forced Religious Classes in Tennessee Prison Industry Program
- Lawsuit Filed in Death of Kentucky Prisoner Held in Five-point Restraints, by Derek Gilna
- Michigan Jail Wrongful Death Suit Settles for $500,000, by Christopher Zoukis
- Troubles at California Jail Lead Sheriff to Forgo Reelection, by Derek Gilna
- Wisconsin Paid Former Prison Employees $105,000 to Settle Harassment Cases, by Derek Gilna
- Virginia Parole Board Changes “Three-Strikes” Interpretation, by David Reutter
- Nevada DOC Settles Suit Over Prisoner Suicide for $93,000, by Matthew Clarke
- California: Whistle-blowing Prison Employee Fired, Loses Lawsuit, by Edward Lyon
- $9 Million Settlement for Illinois Man Wrongly Imprisoned for Murder, by Matthew Clarke
- ACLU Reaches Confidential Settlement in CIA Detainee Torture Lawsuit, by Derek Gilna
- UK Court Blocks Extradition of Accused Hacker to United States, by Christopher Zoukis
- North Carolina Prisoner Exonerated for Rape Collects $9.5 Million Settlement
- Federal Court Nullifies Seizure of Prisoner’s Civil Rights Award
- “Egregious” Lack of Care by Jail’s Medical Contractor Leads to $1 Million Settlement, by Dale Chappell
- Indiana’s SOMM Program Declared Unconstitutional by Federal Court, by Dale Chappell
- Lawsuit on Behalf of Prisoners in 1993 Lucasville Riot Challenges Ban on Media Access, by Edward Lyon
- New Virginia Law Requires Oversight of Jail Deaths
- Oregon: Former Clackamas Deputy, Probation Officer Sentenced for Child Rape, by Monte McCoin
- Exonerated Prisoner Awarded $15 Million for Misconduct by Baltimore Police, by Derek Gilna
- Office of Inspector General Finds Abuses at ICE Detention Facilities, by Christopher Zoukis
- Civil Commitment Used to Imprison Drug Users in Massachusetts, by Edward Lyon
- Illinois: $380,000 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Jail Prisoner Assaulted by Other Prisoners, by Matthew Clarke
- Tennessee Judge Ends Sentence Reductions for Prisoners Who Agree to Sterilization; Receives Reprimand, by David Reutter
- Retaliatory “Rough Ride” by Prison Guards States Eighth Amendment Claim, by David Reutter
- Second Circuit Reverses Judgment in Favor of U.S. Citizen Held 3½ Years in Immigration Detention, by Matthew Clarke
- The Magnificent Seven, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
- Settlement in Class-action ADA Suit Against Shasta County, California Jail, by Derek Gilna
- U.S. Supreme Court: Prevailing Prisoners Must Pay 25 Percent of Damage Awards Towards Attorney Fees, by Derek Gilna
- A&E Reality Show Puts Undercover Volunteers, Hidden Cameras in Jails, by Dale Chappell
- State Criminal Justice Reform Efforts Gaining Traction, by Christopher Zoukis
- Census Bureau will Count Incarcerated People in the Wrong Place Once Again in 2020 Census, Continues to Distort Democracy
- John Legend Fights for Criminal Justice Reform, by Christopher Zoukis
- Supreme Court Reverses Ninth Circuit Ruling Banning Pretrial Full-body Shackling, by Derek Gilna
- Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Reports Inaccurate Jail Violence Data, by Edward Lyon
- “Less Lethal” Tasers Continue to Kill Dozens of Prisoners, by Christopher Zoukis
- Idaho Settles Religious Discrimination Suit Brought by Incarcerated Odinist
- The Prison Phone Industry Has Quietly Become Even More of a Duopoly, by Steve Horn
- Idaho Prisoner Swallows Razor Blade to Force Corizon to Provide Medical Care, by Monte McCoin
- Pennsylvania: SCI Graterford’s Replacement Slated to Open
- $10,000 Federal Jury Award in Texas Prisoner’s Suit Over Retaliatory Beatings, by Matthew Clarke
- Lawsuits Filed, Renewed Push to Block Cell Phones After Deadly South Carolina Prison Riot, by Steve Horn
- Nebraska Supreme Court Reverses Injunction Against Ban on Prisoner-Prisoner Marriages
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Fifth Circuit Partially Reinstates Mississippi Prisoner’s Suit Over Inadequate Mental Health Care
- Human Rights Defense Center Files Censorship Suit Against Illinois DOC, by Derek Gilna
- News in Brief
- Litigation Heats Up Over Extreme Temperatures in Prisons, Jails, by Matthew Clarke, Christopher Zoukis
More from David Reutter:
- Sixth Circuit Announces State-Law Exceptions to Appeal Deadlines Preserve “Pending” Status Under AEDPA, Holding Belated-Appeal Procedures Toll Federal Habeas Limitations Period, April 1, 2026
- Florida Supreme Court Announces Rule 3.170(f)’s Good-Cause Plea-Withdrawal Standard Does Not Apply at Post-Appeal Resentencing, April 1, 2026
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Defendant Must Be Competent Before Undergoing Mental-Condition Examination Under § 16-8-107(3)(b), April 1, 2026
- California Court of Appeal Announces Plea Agreements Cannot Bar § 1172.1 Resentencing, Holds Merit-Based Denial of Petition Is Appealable, April 1, 2026
- Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies That Failure to Object to Ineligible Juror Does Not Constitute Waiver Unless Party Knew or Could Have Discovered Ineligibility Through Ordinary Diligence, April 1, 2026
- Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
- Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- California Spends $300 Million Each Year Incarcerating Senior Citizens in Women’s Prisons, April 1, 2026. Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Totality of Conditions, Parole, Life without Parole (LWOP), Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Colorado Law Intended to Reduce Prison Population Hasn’t Improved Conditions, March 1, 2026. Overcrowding, Parole, halfway houses, Reduction of Prison Population.
- Maine Was the First State to Abolish Parole. Incarcerated Mainers, Advocates Hope to Bring it Back., March 1, 2026. Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Parole, Post-release, ex-offender, re-entry, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, De Facto Life Sentence.
- Colorado Lawmakers Approve Prison Bed Funding, Despite DOC Understaffing, March 1, 2026. Overcrowding, Staffing, Parole, Overdetention, Reduction of Prison Population.
- North Carolina Parole Commission Agrees to Stop “Moving Goalposts” for Prisoners Who Committed Crime as Juveniles, Feb. 1, 2026. Parole Board Misconduct, Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Parole, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Study Finds Parole Hearings and Grants Continue to Fall, Jan. 1, 2026. Parole Board Misconduct, Statistics/Trends, Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Parole, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
- First Circuit Announces Modification of Juvenile’s Life-Without-Parole Sentence to Parole-Eligible Life Term Constitutes “New Judgment” Under AEDPA, Exempting Second-in-Time Habeas Petition From Gatekeeping Requirements, Jan. 1, 2026. Parole, Habeas Corpus, Life without Parole (LWOP), AEDPA, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders.
- Percentage Of Prisoners Serving Life Without Parole Is Up Despite Overall Decrease in Prison Population, July 15, 2025. Parole, Life without Parole (LWOP), Implementing the Total Sentence.
- New York Lifts Hiring Ban on Fired Striking Prison Guards, Announces Early Prisoner Releases, May 1, 2025. Work Strikes, Staffing, Parole, Guard Unions, Bail/Pretrial Release, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
- Fifth Circuit Leaves Louisiana Prisoner Waiting for Reinstated Parole, Jan. 15, 2025. Parole, Overdetention, Victim's Rights to Enforce Collection.

