2014 Youth and Elder Parole Hearings - Grants vs Denials and non-lifers (DSL)

HAPPY NEW 2015 YEAR..... hoping it will be as productive and transparent as the  2014 year  for LIFERS, other inmates and the criminal defense Attorneys, who work hard to fight for their freedom..
(BELOW: just  a quick STATS note for this February post)

2014 was a great year for the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH), with the implementation of both the Youth Offender Parole Hearings (YOPH) and the Elderly Parole  hearings, the expansion of medical parole, plus the addition of various non-lifer inmate populations getting a shot at early release via the Board ( BPH).

Many procedural changes have changed because of the mandates from the Federal Court. Thus,  some changes were strictly legal - case law, implemented of new legislation - while others were just pressure from previous Realignment done at the State Level.

Wherever the changes came from - the bottom line is that is it reflected in the number of Grants and Denials.

The Numbers (Statistics) are from the LSA Newsletter ---> (thank you again for a job well done at the BPH headquarter)

YOPH (via SB 260):

Jan-Nov 2014:     394   hearings were scheduled,
                            resulting in 112 grants,
                            146 denials, and 2 split decisions.
Of course waivers, cancellations, Stipulations account for the 396 scheduled hearings. The cases heard gave 112 Grants, a net grant rate of 43%.

ELDERLY/MEDICAL:   (note: elderly actually started in October 2014)

Parole consideration began in February and by the end of November 514 hearings had been scheduled, with 115 grants, 245 denials, and 2 split decisions.Hearings which started in October, 2014, saw 21 hearings slated, resulting in 9 grants, 8 denials, 1 continuance and 3 cancellations. 

Non-Lifers / DSL (Determinate Sentence)

Attorney Letarte has started to represent the DSL inmate population with their Board of Parole Hearings. Good news and Bad news for these inmates.  GOOD NEWS; They have a chance at an EARLY Release before the actual  (Eligible Earliest Parole Release Date): BAD NEWS: They have to compete with Lifers' Presentation at the BOARD hearing. Most Lifers (vs DSL inmates) have years of  "clean time", tons of Programming and Vocational trades.  Unfortunately, the DSL will be judge by the same standard to be an UNREASONABLE THREAT to SOCIETY if released. DSL will be subject to the same Marsy's Law denial length. GOOD NEWS: Regardless of the denial length (if not granted parole) the DSL inmate's release date will be Honored and thus released, UNLESS there are new criminal charges. For example, if DSL inmates have 3 more years before reaching their release date ( EPRD) and they get a 5 years denial, they will most likely NOT see the Board again..and will be released at their 3 year mark.

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2015 is a new exciting years for Lifers (ISL) and the DSL inmate population..
.lets keep fighting for those GRANTs.