On February 3, 2010, eleven Virginia inmates filed a class action in federal court in Richmond to challenge the Virginia Parole Board’s denials of parole for inmates convicted of violent offenses solely because of the nature and circumstances of their crimes.  Virginia law requires the Board to consider several factors including the prisoner’s behavior and rehabilitation while incarcerated.  The Parole Board places almost exclusive emphasis on the nature of the crime and fails to consider the other factors.  Read about the case here.
 
Read the Washington Post article about the case here.