Anti-Crime Bill in Virginia Wins Final Passage

The Virginia General Assembly approved the most sweeping overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system in decades Friday as it abolished parole and increased sentences for violent criminals.

The crime plan that emerged from a two-week special session was in most respects the same one introduced by Gov. George F. Allen, and its passage was a major triumph for the law-and-order Republican, who came into office in January promising to “stop the bleeding.”

“I look at it obviously as a very historical success for the people of Virginia,” Allen said at a news conference shortly before signing the legislation, which takes effect Jan. 1. “Virginia has . . . restored integrity, honesty and accountability to our criminal justice system.”