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Gov. Brown supports initiative to ease California parole guidelines
File: Inmates at the Mule Creek State Prison interact in a gymnasium that was modified to house prisoners Aug. 28, 2007 in Ione, California.
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California Gov. Jerry Brown announced Wednesday that he would support an initiative that could make nonviolent felons eligible for parole earlier. The proposed initiative would also shift the decision on whether to try a juvenile as an adult from district attorneys to judges and allow the prison system to credit prisoners for good behavior, rehabilitation and education, according to a release from the governor's office.
The initiative would also allow nonviolent felons to be considered for parole once they'd completed the full sentence for their primary offense, according to the release. It's expected to be on the fall 2016 ballot, according to the release.
The release pointed out that California prisons are under a court-ordered population cap — the result of concern that overcrowding led to poor conditions in the state's prisons. The initiative would help assure a federal court would not need to order prisoners be released, according to the release.
Brown made the announcement on the initiative, called the "Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016," while surrounded by law enforcement and faith leaders.
You can read the full text of the initiative here:
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