University of Virginia Library

Appellate Decision

On November 9, the appellate court made
public their decision which temporarily blocked
the use of federal funds for the penal facility,
but the three-judge panel refused to prevent the
construction of the project.

The Appeals Court asserted that there was
no conflict among the aforementioned laws
because the Safe Streets Act was designed to
give the federal government "as small a role as
possible" in state spending to preserve local
autonomy, while others were intended to
protect areas of historical and environmental
value.

The LEAA will therefore have to prepare a
statement concerning the effects the proposed
penal facility will have on the Green Springs
area. Their statement will be circulated to other
federal agencies related to the environment.

The Appeals Court said it would not stop
the state from constructing the proposed
facility because the federal laws "impose no
duties on the state and operate only upon
federal agencies."

George Minter, director of the State's
Department of Welfare and Institutions,
announced on November 10 that his
department was "pleased that the legal attempt
to block construction of the Virginia
Correctional Center was rejected by the
appellate court."

"We will be proceeding with developing the
project as rapidly as we can clear up the
administrative procedures," he said.