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Olympia considers plan to allow some early prison releases

Image courtesy of TVW

A proposal to allow early release for state prison inmates who can show they’ve made real progress will move forward in the State Senate.

House Bill 1189 would allow inmates who can demonstrate “extraordinary circumstances” – that they’ve been rehabilitated or that they have a medical or age-related need for release to petition the Clemency and Pardons Board.

James McMahan with the Washington Association of Sheriff’s and Police Chiefs says they support a mechanism for release under extraordinary circumstances.  “Many of the provisions of this bill, we think, not only undermine a judge’s sentence,” McMahan says, “but it allows release in what we would consider ordinary circumstances.”

Noreen White with Information for a Change says the bill is about racial equity and reuniting families.  White says, “People of color are disproportionately serving the lengthiest sentences in our prisons, and we have no parole options for most people in our prisons.”

The bill would also expand the Clemency and Pardons Board from 5 to 10 members with requirements the Board would have some specific diversity requirements for its membership including, according to the most recent bill report: a person with lived experience in a community of color; a person with lived experience as an incarcerated individual, or work with the formerly incarcerated or successful community reentry; a representative of a faith-based organization or church with interest or experience in community reentry; a person with experience and interest in tribal affairs; a retired superior court judge; and an agency representing crime victims.

The bill now moves on to the Senate Human Services Committee after a very short executive session and voice vote from the Law and Justice Committee. The most recent hearing with public testimony was Feb. 21st in the House Appropriations Committee. You can watch that hearing on TVW here, starting at approximately the 3:05:40 mark.

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