Jones leads opposition to Board of Parole Hearing commissioners up for Senate confirmation

Board of Parole Hearing commissioners are now voting to release almost 4 out of 10 killers and rapists coming before them in parole hearings.

Senator Brian W. Jones yesterday spoke out on the senate floor against the confirmation of four of Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointees to the Board of Parole Hearings.

“I am voting no on four out of five of these Board of Parole Hearing commissioners,” said Jones. “These commissioners all voted to undercut the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights. This will now greatly limit the ability of family members to weigh-in against the state, letting the killer of their loved ones out of prison early. Prosecutors and victims’ rights advocates are very upset, disappointed and mad about it. The board’s rate of voting to release hardcore killers and rapists is now approaching 40 percent (four out of 10) who come before them for a hearing. With the rising crime rate in California way off the scales in most of our communities, I’m asking that we not approve these appointments.”

The BOPH is comprised of 21 members (commissioners) appointed by the governor and required to be confirmed by the state senate within one year of their appointment. Teams typically consisting of one BOPH commissioner and one civil service deputy commissioner conduct parole hearings for some of the most hardcore violent criminals (generally murderers, rapists, kidnappers) in prison – those who were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

All five BOPH Ccmmissioners were ultimately confirmed on primarily party-line votes.