July 9, 2024 - Attorney General Miyares Addresses Data On Enhanced Earned Sentence Credits

Attorney General Miyares Addresses Data On Enhanced Earned Sentence Credits 

Retroactive Sentence Reductions for Violent Criminals at High-Risk for Violent Recidivism Undermines the Justice System, Disregards Victims

RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jason Miyares today addressed official data from the Virginia Department of Corrections on inmates identified for sentence recalculation. Since these credits are applied retroactively, on July 1, 2024, 445 inmates became eligible for immediate release, including: 16 convicted of first-degree murder, 22 convicted of rape or sexual assault, 46 convicted of abduction, and 244 convicted of robbery. 

In all, more than 7,600 offenders now qualify for sentence reductions, and approximately 99% of those eligible are convicted violent offenders. As Attorney General Miyares highlighted yesterday, approximately 25% of these inmates have been identified as high-risk for violent recidivism, meaning they have a high likelihood of reoffending violently.

"It's well known that a mere 2-5% of offenders are responsible for over 50% of all crime. Expanding earned sentence credits to inmates convicted of both violent and nonviolent offenses in the same act or transaction will likely benefit these repeat, violent offenders," said Attorney General Miyares. "Virginians should not have to wait for a tragedy to prompt their elected officials to prioritize their safety. Good intentions do not equal good results."

In February, Attorney General Miyares addressed data revealing that inmates released under the ‘enhanced’ earned sentence credit (EESC) system are significantly more likely to reoffend and be rearrested – especially for violent crimes – than those released under the previous standard earned sentence credit (ESC) system. 

Read the data here. 

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