SB 394: Parole: youth offender parole hearings.

Existing law requires the Board of Parole Hearings to conduct a youth offender parole hearing for offenders sentenced to state prison who committed specified crimes when they were under 23 years of age. Existing law, as added by initiative statute, imposes a term of confinement in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole or, at the discretion of the court, 25 years to life, on a defendant who was 16 years of age or older and under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime for which he or she was found guilty of murder in the first degree, if specified special circumstances have been found true. Existing case law prohibits a juvenile convicted of a homicide offense from being sentenced to life in prison without parole absent consideration of the juveniles special circumstances in light of the principles and purposes of juvenile sentencing.

This bill would make a person who was convicted of a controlling offense that was committed before the person had attained 18 years of age and for which a life sentence without the possibility of parole has been imposed eligible for release on parole by the board during his or her 25th year of incarceration at a youth offender parole hearing. The bill would require the board to complete, by July 1, 2020, all hearings for individuals who are or will be entitled to have their parole suitability considered at a youth offender parole hearing by these provisions before July 1, 2020. The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 3051 and 4801 of the Penal Code proposed by AB 1308 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1308 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.