FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2014
House
Establishes Framework for Paroling Juvenile Murderers
(BOSTON)
– State Representative Thomas Golden joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of
Representatives in passing legislation that creates a framework for determining
parole eligibility for juveniles who have been convicted of first degree
murder.
This legislation is in response to
recent federal and state court rulings that declared life sentences without
parole for juveniles to be unconstitutional.
The legislation applies to 14-18
year olds and creates two categories.
The first category applies to those who have committed felony
murders. These individuals would be
eligible for parole in 20-25 years. The
second category concerns those convicted of first degree murder who showed
“deliberate premeditation with malice aforethought.” These individuals would be eligible for
parole in 25-30 years.
The bill also protects the families
of victims from having to testify excessively when a prisoner shows no signs of
rehabilitation. The parole board may use
a 10-year setback period to extend the period of time before a prisoner may
next present themselves before a parole board.
Rep.
Golden said,
“In light of recent judicial decisions, this bill aims to protect the citizens
of our Commonwealth while staying within the confines of the Constitution.”
Finally, the legislation changes the terms
of violating parole for juvenile murders from committing a crime to committing
a violent offense. This change
safeguards juvenile offenders who are released on parole from violating their
parole because of minor criminal behavior, such as operating an uninsured
vehicle.
No comments:
Post a Comment