Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> California Criminal Defense Blog

Criminal Law

: California Criminal Defense Blog

California's So-Called "Mandatory" Parole Law

By Neil Shous, Esq.

California essentially subscribes to a mandatory parole program. In theory, this means that all eligible inmates who come up for parole will be granted parole. In reality, this means something completely different. You see, before a ?lifer? is placed on parole, he/she must appear before the parole board for a California Board of Parole ?Lifer? Hearing. During one of these parole suitability or ?lifer? hearings, the California parole board evaluates whether or not it believes that an inmate is ?ready to be returned to society?. Eligible parolees are supposed to be paroled unless they present an overriding public safety risk. What constitutes an ?overriding public safety risk? is very discretionary and, as I?m sure you can imagine, very open to interpretation...continue to full post

Full post as published by California Criminal Defense Blog on March 12, 2010 (boomark / email).