House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert issued the following statement:

“Virginia children can’t attend school in person, businesses and jobs are being permanently lost, violent riots continue, and House Democrats have chosen to focus their energy on helping killers, rapists, and child sexual predators get out of jail early.

“Republicans believe that killers, rapists, and child molesters should serve their full sentences.  The vote today was an insult to crime victims and their families. This vote destroys ‘truth in sentencing’ in Virginia, and will undermine the state’s ranking as the 4th lowest violent crime rate in the country. House Democrats’ actions today will make our communities less safe and should appall every Virginian.”

Background

Earlier today, the House Courts of Justice Committee voted to advance House Bill 5148, a measure from Del. Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, which would change the way good behavior credits would be calculated for inmates.

At present, inmates serve a minimum of 85 percent of the sentences they’re given. Under Scott’s bill, this number would drop to as low as 54 percent. Worse, the bill would be applied retroactively, opening the jailhouse doors for thousands of dangerous criminals.

The bill includes no exceptions from some truly heinous crimes, including murder, rape, child pornography, cross burning and other forms of racial intimidation, domestic violence, and child prostitution.