Virginia man sues Department of Corrections after being denied early release

Virginia man suing Department of Corrections for wrongful imprisonment

A Virginia man is going after state prison leaders after he says he was wrongfully imprisoned for months — and he's not the only one.

VIRGINIA - A Virginia man is going after state prison leaders after he says he was wrongfully imprisoned for months — and he's not the only one.

Leslie Puryear had served 11 years behind bars for attempted robbery and use of a firearm when a prison counselor told him he'd be getting out. That was thanks to a law passed in 2020 by a Democratic-led general assembly making it easier for prisoners to earn credit against their sentences more quickly if they participate in certain programs and keep a good record — both of which Puryear did.

Then the Department of Corrections reversed course, keeping Puryear in for 17 months after he was originally told he'd be released.

"So close to getting out and then be like, ‘oh no you can't go now.' That's, like, inhumane. You don't treat a human being like that just because a person is incarcerated. You have great people who have been locked up and made mistakes who can change [their] life to be successful and live out [their] dreams and I'm one of those people," Puryear said. "So I just ask for justice not only for myself but went through the same trauma as I did."

Puryear is suing the Department of Corrections for wrongful imprisonment on behalf of himself and a class of dozens if not hundreds of individuals. The law allows individuals with a history of violent offenses the chance to earn sentence credit, which is something Attorney General Jason Miyares opposes.

Miyares claims at least a quarter of the individuals who will be released have a high likelihood of reoffending. Miyares' office declined to comment on pending litigation.

READ THE FULL LAWSUIT BELOW