|
|
| Virginia's Supermax Prison Capacity Quietly Downgraded |
| By Associated Press / Hampton Roads Daily Press |
| Published: 05/20/2003 |
|
Five years after Virginia unveiled two prisons for its toughest prisoners, the state has quietly downsized its 'supermax' capacity by more than 75 percent. The most recent cutback took effect earlier this year at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County. Under a reorganization, 550 of Red Onion's original 1,200 beds remain designated for the 'worst of the worst' inmates. Wallens Ridge State Prison, also in Wise County, was reclassified last year to a maximum-security prison. Critics have said that Virginia grossly overestimated its number of violent and predatory inmates when it spent $147 million on the two prisons to isolate them under the tightest of security. With the recent changes--which reduce the number of supermax beds from 2,400 to 550--the state has acknowledged that it overbuilt its supermax capacity, said David Fathi, a staff attorney with the National Prison Project in Washington, D.C. Larry Traylor, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections, said the reductions were a result of a change in the way the department classifies inmates. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think