Prisoner Reentry in Virginia

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Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

Executive Summary

This report describes the process of prisoner reentry in Virginia by examining the trends in incarceration and prisoner releases, the characteristics of the state's returning prisoners, the geographic distribution of returning prisoners, and the social and economic climates of the communities that are home to the highest concentrations of returning prisoners. This report consolidates existing data on incarceration and release trends and presents a new analysis of data on Virginia prisoners released in 2002. The data used in this report were derived from several sources, including the Virginia Department of Corrections (VA DOC), the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Richmond Police Department. Highlights from the report are presented below.

Incarceration and Release Trends. Virginia's incarceration and reentry trends are similar to those observed at the national level. Between 1980 and 2003, the Virginia prison population more than quadrupled, increasing from 8,521 to 35,429 people. The per capita rate of imprisonment in Virginia rose from 159 to 471 per 100,000 residents in the state between 1980 and 2002, an increase of almost 200 percent. Virginia's release patterns reflect admission and population trends: 10,635 prisoners were released from Virginia prisons in 2003, nearly three times the number released in 1980 (3,582).

Characteristics of Prisoners Released in 2002. Of those released in 2002, the majority were male (89 percent) and black (63 percent). The average age at release was 35 years. One-half had been serving time for nonviolent offenses, one quarter had been serving time for a violent offense, and the remaining quarter had committed a drug offense. The average time served was 3.6 years. In terms of admission type, 10 percent of those released in 2002 were incarcerated for a parole violation; an unknown number of releases were incarcerated for a probation violation. Almost one quarter of individuals released in 2002 were released from a local jail facility; most of these individuals served their entire sentence in a local facility. Educational levels among released prisoners were severely limited: over half had not graduated from high school. A majority had a history of drug or alcohol abuse, and almost one in five had been diagnosed with a physical health condition. Almost half of released prisoners had participated in vocational or educational programs provided by the Virginia Department of Correctional Education. More than two in every five releasees had participated in substance abuse programming while in prison.

Release and Supervision Policies and Practices. The vast majority of the state's prisoners are released through a mandatory process, and most—81 percent—are released to a period of supervision. Since parole was abolished in Virginia in 1995, the number of individuals supervised on parole has decreased. However, more than half of Virginia's exiting prisoners are released to probation supervision. The average caseload for supervision officers is 77 cases per officer. In recent years, about 45 percent of admissions to prison were the result of violations of probation or parole.

Geographic Distribution of Released Prisoners. Prisoners released in Virginia return to most counties in the state, but distribution is not even. The jurisdictions with the highest numbers of returning prisoners are the cities of Richmond and Norfolk. Fifteen percent of prisoners released in 2002 came from two jurisdictions—Richmond City and Norfolk City—that together house but 6 percent of the state's population. These two cities face greater economic and social disadvantage than many other jurisdictions throughout the state. The number of individuals living in poverty is more than twice as high in Richmond and Norfolk cities than in the state as a whole. Unemployment rates are higher, and the share of families that are headed by a single female is significantly higher than the state as a whole. Within the cities, releasees are most heavily concentrated in a small number of the cities' block groups. High levels of disadvantage and crime also characterize some of these neighborhoods.

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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