California's So-Called "Mandatory" Parole Law
California essentially subscribes to a mandatory parole program. In theory, this means that all eligible inmates who come up for parole will be granted parole. In reality, this means something completely different.
You see, before a “lifer” is placed on parole, he/she must appear before the parole board for a California Board of Parole “Lifer” Hearing. During one of these parole suitability or “lifer” hearings, the California parole board evaluates whether or not it believes that an inmate is “ready to be returned to society”.
Eligible parolees are supposed to be paroled unless they present an overriding public safety risk. What constitutes an “overriding public safety risk” is very discretionary and, as I’m sure you can imagine, very open to interpretation.
Although parole rates in the last few years have grown…due in large part to overcrowded California state prisons and the state’s budget crisis…certain classes of felons are surely more subject to scrutiny than others. It is these inmates who attend more than their share of hearings before being released on parole.
This is just one reason why it is so important to consult with a California criminal defense attorney who understands the most effective ways to convince the Board of Parole Hearings that you have been rehabilitated and are therefore ready and eager to become a “productive member of society”.
