Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) yesterday spoke out on the Senate Floor against the confirmation of four of Governor Newsom’s appointees to the Board of Parole Hearings (BOPH).
“I am voting NO on four out of five of these Board of Parole Hearing Commissioners,” said Senator Brian Jones. “These Commissioners all voted to undercut the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights. This will now greatly limit the ability of family members to weigh-in against the state, letting the killer of their loved ones out of prison early. Prosecutors and victims’ rights advocates are very upset, disappointed, and mad about it. The Board’s rate of voting to release hardcore killers and rapists is now approaching 40% (four out of ten) who come before them for a hearing. With the rising crime rate in California way off the scales in most of our communities, I’m asking that we not approve these appointments.”
The BOPH is comprised of 21 members (Commissioners) appointed by the Governor and required to be confirmed by the State Senate within one year of their appointment. Teams typically consisting of one BOPH Commissioner and one civil service Deputy Commissioner conduct parole hearings for some of the most hardcore violent criminals (generally murderers, rapists, kidnappers) in prison – those who were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Click here to watch Jones’ Senate Floor statement against four of the five BOPH Commissioners up for confirmation.
All five BOPH Commissioners were ultimately confirmed on primarily Party-line votes.