Youthful offenders may get chance for parole
Lawmakers are sending Gov. Jerry Brown a bill to require parole hearings for inmates who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for crimes they committed before they turned 18.
SB260, by Democratic Sen. Loni Hancock of Berkeley, requires youth offender parole hearings for juveniles who were prosecuted as adults.
The Senate approved the bill 22-14 on Tuesday.
It responds to federal and state supreme court rulings finding that decades-long sentences are improper for youthful offenders who were not convicted of murder. Hancock’s bill goes further, requiring hearings even for those convicted of homicide.
Her bill requires offenders to serve at least 15 to 25 years in prison, depending on their offense. They must also show remorse and maturity and show they have been rehabilitated in order to qualify for parole.
