VA SB60

Expands the Virginia Parole Board from up to 5 members to at least 11 members, with 5 appointed by the Governor, 3 by the Speaker of the House, and 3 by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules, effective July 1, 2028.

Requires Board members to have professional experience in criminal law, corrections, reentry services, or victim services, including specific positions for a criminal prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, mental health professional with adolescent development expertise, and a crime victim representative.

Establishes special parole procedures for juvenile offenders who committed crimes as minors and have served at least 20 years, requiring the Board to give substantial weight to demonstrated maturity, rehabilitation, and youth-related mitigating factors.

Prohibits the Board from using a juvenile offender's age at the time of the offense as an aggravating factor or denying parole based principally on the nature of the offense rather than demonstrated capacity for change.

Mandates annual parole reviews for eligible juvenile offenders and creates an appeal process for decisions that fail to properly weigh age-related mitigating circumstances or overrely on static factors like offense nature.