A liberal criminal justice reform bill is seeking to pave the way for imprisoned Californians who received the death penalty or are serving life sentences to have their cases reviewed.
The bill, which is sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Dave Cortese and supported by a handful of reform organizations, would evaluate crimes committed before June 5, 1990, and those who have served at least 20 years of their sentences.
MAN WHO SPENT TWO DECADES IN PRISON ANNOUNCES RUN FOR CALIFORNIA HOUSE SEAT
“SB 94 would save the state hundreds of millions of dollars each year by giving elder inmates the right to judicial review,” Cortese’s office said in a statement. “The recidivism rate for this inmate population is zero. That shows us that people age out of crime and many have done the work to rehabilitate after decades behind bars. This inmate population deserves a path to parole.”
The content of the legislation permits judges to determine if an inmate is a public threat and whether he or she should keep or lower the original sentence.
The bill covers legislative reforms that have been enacted in the last 10 years because judicial consideration now involves many new factors, such as victims experiencing domestic violence, human trafficking, childhood trauma, sexual exploitation or violence, and numerous other circumstances.
Cortese called attention to the high cost of keeping someone in prison, citing that California spends slightly over $106,000 per year, according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office.
“Approximately 820 people would be eligible for sentencing review under SB 94, according to an analysis of CDCR data,” Cortese’s office said. “Nearly 99 percent of them are over the age of 50, and over 90 percent of them have served over 30 years.”
Support for the bill includes liberal organizations such as Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Families United to End LWOP, Citizens United for a Responsible Budget, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, and Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition.
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“After spending my entire adult life inside, I know there are so many elderly serving LWOP and the death penalty that are doing positive programming or are too sick to work,” Chyrl Lamar, who was previously incarcerated and is an advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, said in a testimony on April 11. “They deserve a second look. S.B. 94 would be beneficial for public safety, public health, and our budget. I urge you to take this into consideration and pass this bill.”
S.B. 94 is expected to be brought to the appropriations committee starting at 10 a.m. Pacific time.
