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U.S. NEWS Monday 25 SepteMber 2017

California lawmakers look to free older and younger inmates

By DON THOMPSON safety issues for commu- In the last three years
Associated Press nities. They point to ris- about 2,000 inmates
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ing crime rates following over 60 and 900 under
— To ease overcrowding the earlier initiatives as 23 when they commit-
in state prisons, California evidence that once out ted their crimes have
lawmakers want to re- from behind bars many been recommended for
lease more of the state’s convicts return to their release, or about one-
older prisoners and more criminal ways. quarter of all those con-
of the inmates who were “At some point you have sidered.
young when they com- to ask, when it is it going Legislative analysts say
mitted their crimes. to stop?” said California extending the age to 25
The two bills sent to Gov. District Attorneys Associ- would mean about an-
Jerry Brown in the wan- ation legislative director This Oct. 8, 2014, file photo, provided by the California Depart- other 170 parole hear-
ing days of the legisla- Sean Hoffman. ment of Corrections shows Charles Manson,left, and this June ings each year.
tive session are the lat- Supporters of the mea- 14, 2016 photo provided by the California Department of Cor- There would likely be a
est attempt to keep the sures emphasize they do rections and Rehabilitation shows Joseph Mannina, right, who at slight decrease in the
prison population below not guarantee parole for 101 is the oldest inmate incarcerated in California. roughly 160 elderly in-
Associated Press
the cap set by federal anyone and say it makes mates granted parole
judges, with the goal of sense to target the young “Why not Charles Man- for parole after serving each year because of
eventually ending fed- and old as lawmakers try son? For heaven’s sake, at least 15 years. AB1308 the narrower eligibility in
eral oversight. to unwind decades of he’s done a lot of time, raises the age to 25. Weber’s bill compared
One requires parole offi- get-tough policies that he’s really suffered. Poor The age for such con- to the federal court or-
cials to consider whether led to unprecedented guy,” Nielsen said. sideration was 18 when der. Her office projects
“age, time served and prison crowding. The 82-year-old Manson, lawmakers passed the that about 2,300 older
diminished physical con- Many older inmates leader of the murder- first youth offender pa- inmates would qualify
dition” reduced the risk have health issues that ous Manson “family,” is role law in 2012. for consideration.
for future violence by make them extremely among more than 200 “That gap in the middle Sen. Steven Bradford, D-
older inmates. And the costly to house. octogenarian prisoners. is shrinking, it seems, ev- Gardena, said people
other mandates officials “There’s no point of in- He’s not up for parole ery year,” Hoffman said. who were young when
consider whether young carcerating someone until 2027 and should Paroling younger in- they committed crimes
people fully understood who’s at the point of he make to then it’s ex- mates is more concern- deserve a second
their actions and if their death,” said Assembly- tremely unlikely his age ing to law enforcement chance.
lack of maturity allowed woman Shirley Weber, will prompt officials to than freeing older crimi- “Certain areas of the
for a greater chance of D-San Diego. free him. nals, he said, because brain, particularly those
rehabilitation. Weber’s bill would write California has six inmates they are more likely to be affecting judgment and
The measures follow into law a 2014 federal are 90 or older and the healthy enough to com- decision-making, do not
voter-approved early- court order that requires oldest of all is 101-year- mit new crimes. Statistics develop until their ear-
release efforts in recent California to consider old child molester Jo- show less than one-third ly to mid-20s,” he said,
years that have reduced releasing inmates age seph Mannina, serving of California inmates pa- adding that, “To say that
penalties for drug and 60 or older who have a life sentence with the roled when they were young people aren’t sal-
property crimes and, served at least 25 years. chance of parole. 60 or older were back vageable is a crime in
most recently, allowed Death row and other At the other end of the behind bars within three and of itself.”
more sentencing credits no-parole inmates were age spectrum, law- years compared to more Christine Ward, execu-
that can lead to earlier excluded by the judges, makers approved a bill than 50 percent of those tive director of the Crime
releases for inmates who and her bill further ex- expanding the state’s 18-24. Victims Action Alliance,
complete rehabilitation cludes cop killers and youthful parole program. There are about 131,500 rejected that reasoning.
programs. third-strike career crimi- State law already re- inmates in the California “To my mind it’s ridic-
Law enforcement agen- nals. quires that inmates who prison system, nearly 11 ulous to say a 24- or
cies and victims’ organi- Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Ger- were under 23 when percent of whom are 18- 25-year-old doesn’t
zations say the efforts put ber, mocked the bill they committed their 24 and 7 percent are 60 know the difference be-
hardened criminals on when it was debated in crimes be considered and up. tween right and wrong,”
the streets and create the Senate. she said.q