California Senate Passes Bill Allowing Parole for Some Serving Life Without Parole

SB 672 is backed by groups such as BeyondLWOP, which opposes life sentences without the possibility of parole.

A correctional officer walks near a gate, which is one of two entrances, at Kern Valley State Prison, in Delano, Calif., on June 14, 2005. Ric Francis/AP Photo

A California bill that would allow individuals sentenced to life in prison without parole for crimes committed before age 26 to be eligible for parole after serving at least 25 years in prison passed the state Senate in a 24–11 vote on June 3. The bill now heads to the state Assembly.

SB 672, or the Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act, wouldn’t apply to those who had killed a peace officer or federal law enforcement agent. It also excludes those convicted in a mass shooting at a school or church where three or more people were killed, as well as murders that involved torture or sexual assault.