A proposed bill to reduce the amount of time even dangerous offenders must spend on parole after being released from prison is the latest in a series of “criminal justice reform” laws and initiatives which actually undermine public safety in California.
Assembly Bill 1182 by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), would reduce parole supervision from one year to 180 days for serious felons, including sex offenders. Carrillo recently traveled with Gov. Gavin Newsom to El Salvador “to examine the root causes of migration and discuss California’s efforts to provide relief and humanitarian aid to asylum seekers fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries.”
“If passed, it will march in lockstep alongside Proposition 47, Proposition 57, SB 1391 and AB 109 in the parade of criminal-coddling legislation that the governor and state Legislature have foisted on an unwitting public in recent years,” Michele Hanisee, President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles County reports.
“Democrats really have already gutted state parole mightily,” said Michael Rushford, President of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation. When asked the motive behind the bill, Rushford said “to help prior offenders get back to a normal life. Only the focus is on what an ex-con feels,” Rushford said. “What’s best for the inmate, rather than public safety.”
Parole is the process an offender goes through, under supervision, to get back to a normal life following a prison sentence.
Rushford said since ex-convicts are statistically already much more likely to re-offend, Democrats are manipulating the parole system so the recidivism statistics won’t reflect reality. In fact, Rushford said, that’s been the motive behind all of the “criminal justice reforms” since the prison realignment bill, Assembly Bill 109, was passed in 2011. Every time violent crime in California was on the rise, Democrats have passed legislation or ballot initiatives to redefine and decriminalize violent crime so the statistics go down, according to Rushford.
Rushford explains AB 1182:
“It would shave a year off the time on parole for high risk criminals released from prison, and it would discharge offenders from parole if they go six months without a violation. This follows other sentencing reforms aimed at reducing incarceration for habitual criminals including; AB109 which transferred most felons coming out of prison from parole to county probation and eliminated prison time for most property and drug felonies; Proposition 47, which turned a host of felonies into misdemeanors encouraging thieves to continue stealing, and SB1391, which prohibits the worst murderers under age 16 from being tried in adult court, gifting those convicted in juvenile court with release at age 25.”
Two reliably liberal think tanks in San Francisco have recently reported that crime is down in California. “This is fake news,” Rushford said. “District Attorneys and Sheriffs are telling us that thousands of property crimes converted to misdemeanors are no longer reported to police and all kinds of theft, burglaries, car break-ins and drug crimes are rising in every community. The FBI preliminary crime report for 2018 found that violent crime had increased in 58.3% of the state’s largest cities.”
Rushford said that currently there are 25,000 unreported property crimes across the state. He’s concerned that the property crimes will escalate to more violent crimes, with no police enforcement or prosecutorial authority. “We are incubating violent criminals in California.”
Michele Hanisee offers “some of AB 1182’s lowlights:”
- AB 1182 would reduce from one year to 180 days the amount of parole time for certain criminals who are released from state prison after serving sentences for serious felonies, including horrific sex offenses.
- AB 1182 would drop the parole-service requirement from either to two or three years to either one or two years for high-risk offenders.
- AB 1182 would require that criminals who have been released to county parole supervision be discharged from parole after six consecutive months in the absence of a parole violation. Under current law, these offenders must only be considered for discharge.
- AB 1182 also strips the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation of its ability to recommend certain offenders be retained on parole.
Six real criminal justice reform bills were killed last year in the California Legislature which would have expanded the definition of violent crime to include human trafficking, elder and dependent adult abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, rape, and other crimes most Californians consider violent. AB 27, AB 67, AB 197, SB 75, SB 652 and SB 770 would have corrected unclear language and serious flaws in Proposition 57, but were killed. The bills are explained in a California Globe article in March.
Since 2016, what has transpired is the decriminalization of crimes previously considered violent. Because the language in Proposition 57 is imprecise, it has resulted in the release of felony rapists in situations when the victim did not or could not grant consent. The initiative specified early parole for persons who committed non-violent offenses. However, the initiative never specified what is considered a non-violent felony.
Prop. 47 reduced a host of felonies to misdemeanors, including drug crimes, date rape, and all thefts under $950, even for repeat offenders who steal every day.
As Prop. 57 stands, crimes such as human trafficking, child abduction, elder and dependent adult abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, and rape of an unconscious person, are not considered “violent crimes.”
SB 1391 prevents people under age 16 from being tried as adults even for the most vicious, calculated murders.
View Comments (42)
I understand that sadly, AB 1182 has been watered down with amendments so far fewer people can benefit from reduced time on parole. and prison profiteers will continue benefiting. Once someone pays their debt per our laws, they are not, or no longer are, a criminal. Of course, providing support that helps people find jobs, places to live, get back on their feet, and become responsible, tax paying citizens benefits all society. Let's spend more resources on learning the causes of crime, preventing it, and especially breaking the school-to-prison pipeline, and waste fewer resources on parole.
Marie Callahan, You obviously do not know anything about the prison population. Instead of preaching to law abiding citizens and telling them what they should do for CRIMINALS, you do it first. Take one into your home and make sure YOU meet all their needs and then, Let us know how that went!!
Your blind, hateful eyes sadly betray you! What a tragedy to lose one’s sense of
humanity and compassion to the extent that he/she sees another person, not as a human being, but rather as something less than themselves.
DK, you obviously do not know about Inmates who come out of prison and seriously want to turn their lives around. Hiw long must they pay for the crime? Especially, those who are only incarcerated for property crimes. Don't they deserve a chance to be totally free??
That outdated argument is so lame. What do YOU know about the prison population? Ever been in prison? I bet not. I doubt you have any solutions or alternatives, other than to continue to lock people up on rigged statistics and fearmongering
There are many inmates who are innocent and have been done grave harm by the California dishonest courts and the dishonest California lawyers. Most of these lawyers are in a "club" to be in the back pocket of some district attorneys. I have met 3 DA's who are honest in the entire California state. They did not come out of the Pomona Court South either.
You're right, they are no longer "criminals" they're ex-cons.
Oh, and there is no "school to prison pipeline" outside of the fever driven imagination of out if touch liberals.
Of*
You're lost. It's quite imaginative to believe there isn't a school to prison pipeline, when people like you purport to continue the massive spend on prisons, seeing guards and their unions get fat salaries and pensions, while schoolteachers can't afford a living, or supplies, or quality materiel to teach with.
We spend too much on parole when it is unnecessary. The respected Stanford University found that less than .01% of those convicted of murder and later released ever commit another felony of any kind--lower rate than the general population.The number of times they harm someone is even more rare. Of course, human nature and the media being what it is, when it does happen headlines scream making it seem as if it is a common occurrence.
Respected Stanford University? It's become just another globalist Marxist indoctrination camp.
Wow! Nice way for you to expose your own ignorance!
That’s a lie stat and you know it ! You should be ashamed and stats can be manipulated, just as they have to serve the liberal purpose. Simply put don’t commit crime and you won’t go to jail, it’s really that simple.
Now here is someone who obviously has done their homework, instead of just screaming doom and gloom about people, yes PEOPLE, being released on parole. Fact: Those convicted of murder who are GRANTED PAROLE BY THE BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS, meaning they earned it, have a recidivism rate of less than 1/10 of 1%. Compare that to those who have not served a life sentence and are guaranteed of being released, whose recidivism rate is nearly 90%! I would take the paroled murderer as a neighbor any day of the week, because I KNOW they are going to be keeping their eye out for trouble makers. Don't listen to either Liberals or Conservatives, all they do is preach doom and gloom and do NOT give you the true facts about ANYTHING. Use your own eyes and ears and brain to research and find out what the REAL DEAL IS!
I applaud you for your wise words and reasoned opinion!
Truth supported by facts. I appreciate your response to this story.
CALIFORNIA HAS BECOME ONE BIG LUNTIC FARM WITH A BROKEN LOCK ON THE DOORS..... IF ONE VOTES FOR THIS AND A CRIMINAL COMMETS ANOTHER FELONY THE PERSONS WHO VOTED FOR THIS LOONIE TUNE BILL SHOULD HAVE TO SERVE PRISON TIME WITH THE THUG.
I BET WITHOUT A DOUBT THOSE THAT ARE PUSHING IT HAVE KINFOLKS IN THE SYSTEM... ITS TO REOPEN THE ROCK.
Commits*
Looney*
So, in your world (as dark as it may be), anyone who commits (or as you stated, “comments”) a crime is a “thug” and any person who differs in such ludicrous ideology must be his/her “kinfolk?”
Tell me these Democrat politicians aren't taking bribes from the cartels !
They aren’t
Grateful for Katy Grimes coverage of this as well as all of the other insane stuff that is coming out of this legislature. As far as I can tell she is the only one doing it.
I see a couple of “criminal justice reform” shills here on this comment thread. Would one of you mind explaining to the rest of us what motivates you to argue for parole reduction? Hasn’t it been reduced enough? In fact, as a practical matter, hasn’t it been reduced into nonexistence?
If you don’t care about the safety of law-abiding citizens, I find it hard to believe you have compassion for anyone else, including those who have been incarcerated. So what is it? Do you have friends and family members who are always in trouble with the law? Are you yourself often in trouble with the law? What makes you think that dumping violent criminals onto the streets is a good thing, for the public or for the criminals? Is there money involved? Are you being paid? Please enlighten us.
The incident at the link below just happened the other day in otherwise sleepy Lake Forest. I wonder what this crazy stabber-carjacker’s story is? I hope we can find out, but I won’t hold my breath. Looks like meth, but who knows? Was he early-released from prison? Who knows? This is not an isolated incident. There have been so many drug-fueled crime sprees lately it is difficult to keep up with them.
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/04/17/victims-of-bizarre-stabbing-carjacking-spree-in-lake-forest-speak-out/
Does the public have any right at all anymore to be protected from such people? Or is it only criminals who should be protected?
First Being On Parole Myself Is Hard Especially When Your Trying To Do Right Like Myself, Since I’ve Been Out I’ve Got Into Labor Union Got A Car Work 6 Days Out The Week 12 Hour Shifts My Only Rest Day Is Sunday But To Spend Time With My Fiancé Is Hard when Your Parole Officer Won’t Let You Go Out Of The 50 miles Ratios which puts a damper on my relationship so to here everyone talking about that one time a parolee did something wrong is frustrating because nobody ever sheds light on the positive side but the power needs to be stripped from California Department Of Corrections And Needs Check’s and Balances Which we have none of so If Bill Dosnt Pass then CDC Can continue to run a muck doing as they please because paroles are scum in a lot of people’s eyes open your eyes people it’s bigger than yourself
Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo? Another corrupt Democrat socialist. Would anyone be surprised if that brown supremacist was receiving payoffs from the Mexican mafia and cartels?
California, Criminals first, law abiding Citizens last.
This is the type of thing that caused me to move out of California after living there my first 54 years of life. People have the freedom to choose their actions, and we all know that there are penalties for violating the law. Blaming society because someone decides to rape women or commit other felonies is bleeding-heart BS; glad to be out of the laughing-stock state of California.
Happy to have you out of the state!
I worked in the parole system for 12 years and witnessed the AB109 debacle. These laws and the legislature who write them in California are political activists that have come to power claiming social justice and reform as their goal. There is a political stranglehold on the general public in the once great state of California, a darkness driven by power mongers who peddle social guilt, media propaganda and public apathy. Forums like these demonstrate how apathetic we have become. Most of the issues in the California prison system can be traced directly back to Edmund G. Brown via determinate sentencing law and prisoner rights. I have never understood why California did not adopt a simplified prison/parole formula: E.g. If you are sentenced to 10 years for Robbery and serve 8 in prison then are paroled, you have a two year parole. If you violate parole you are subject to return to prison for the balance of your sentence. Good luck California, but YOU are to blame for your leadership there!
WHY? We are under constant assault from the same people we voted in to protect us yet they pander to the 1% of homeless drug addicts that can't get it together and 1% of hardcore criminals that are laughing in their face. What about the 98% of the rest of us law-abiding, tax paying citizens? What bizzarroland are we living in?