San Diego City Wire

Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones has urged Governor Gavin Newsom to veto Senate Bill 81, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner of Berkeley. The bill would require courts to reassess and potentially reverse decisions made by the parole board and governor regarding parole denials unless specific evidentiary conditions are met.

Leader Jones expressed strong opposition to the bill, stating, "SB 81 is a measure by one VERY liberal, soft-on-crime senator who doesn’t think criminals, even violent ones, are being released from prison quickly enough." He argued that the bill seeks to force courts into overriding existing parole decisions due to dissatisfaction with current inmate release rates.

According to SB 81, courts would be mandated to review parole denials based solely on whether the felon poses a current danger to society. This approach would exclude other considerations such as the inmate's record in prison, level of rehabilitation, acknowledgment of their crime, future risk of danger, and additional factors.

Jones criticized this aspect of the bill for denying courts their traditional role as gatekeepers in habeas cases—where inmates challenge their imprisonment—and instead presuming reversal for any case brought before them.

"There are already numerous existing procedures in place to ensure accountability and fairness at parole hearings," said Leader Jones. These include "a vetted state board, gubernatorial authority, and the ability for an inmate to petition for judicial review of their case." He warned that SB 81 could dangerously skew justice in favor of violent felons deemed unsuitable for release by both the board and governor.

Leader Jones called on Governor Newsom not to undermine his own authority or that of the parole board by signing SB 81. He cautioned that altering the parole process could lead to premature releases that may endanger public safety.