Mandatory minimum sentences became popular in the 1990s, a time when law and order lawmakers added so many offenses to the list that Virginia prisons strained to accommodate all the inmates.

A sweeping criminal justice proposal moving through Virginia’s Democratic-led legislature is sparking sharp debate over whether the state should loosen ...

WASHINGTON — As London Teeter took the podium inside the Elijah Barrett Prettyman United States Court House, nerves were high. "I actually have a really big fear of public speaking,” Teeter said. But ...

Virginia Democrats propose eliminating minimum prison sentences for violent crimes including rape and manslaughter, sparking widespread controversy and debate.

A bill aimed at significantly increasing prison time for people convicted of sexually exploiting children will be debated when South Carolina lawmakers return to the State House. Senate Bill 723, ...