Advocates say proposed parole fix would have little impact

(AP) – Advocates for Virginia prisoners say a measure aimed at helping inmates who may have been given inflated prison terms would have little impact.

Lawmakers have been wrestling with what to do about a group of inmates who may have been unfairly punished because their juries weren’t informed that Virginia had abolished parole in 1995.
    
A legislative panel endorsed a bill Monday that would allow some of those inmates to become eligible for parole. But advocates say the bill has been narrowed so much that it will affect few people.
    
Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration, which introduced the original bill, dismissed their criticism and said the legislation that’s moving forward could have a substantial impact.