elderly parole

East County News Service

February 6, 2025 (Sacramento, CA) --  Today, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 286, which will close what he calls a “dangerous loophole” in California’s Elderly Parole program that allows violent sex offenders and murderers as young as age 50 to be released early. Click here to read the bill’s fact sheet.

“Releasing violent rapists under the so-called ‘elderly parole’ is not only an insult to victims but a grave danger to Californians,” Jones states in a press release.. “Survivors of violent sex crimes and the families of murder victims should never have to live in fear that their attacker could walk free long before serving their full sentence. But under current law, the system is rigged in favor of criminals, forcing the Board of Parole Hearings to justify why these offenders shouldn’t be released. That’s completely backward. The law should protect law-abiding Californians, not violent criminals.”

The current Elderly Parole program was expanded through a last-minute amendment to a budget bill, Assembly Bill 3234 (Ting – 2020), which lowered the age threshold for elderly parole from 60 years of age to 50 years of age during the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent sex offenders can be eligible for elderly parole after serving only 20 years, under AB 3234. Despite its major societal and fiscal impacts, AB 3234 was rushed through the process without a single Senate policy committee hearing, according to Jones.

 “Proponents of AB 3234 vowed that sex offenders and rapists would not be eligible for Elderly Parole, but ‘accidentally’ left out that key protection—and have refused to fix their mistake,” Jones says.”SB 286 will finally correct this dangerous loophole, ensuring that rapists, child molesters, and murderers serve their full terms—no matter their age.”

 Since its passage, multiple child molesters have become eligible for Elderly Parole, forcing victims and their families to fight to keep their perpetrators behind bars.

SB 286 is the second attempt by Jones to close this loophole for rapists in the Elderly Parole program.  His previous bill, SB 445 (2021), was blocked by Senate Democrats in the Public Safety Committee on a party-line vote.

 SB 286 is supported by San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephen. The measure is awaiting assignment to a Senate policy committee for a hearing.