SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom will soon decide the fate of Senate Bill 141 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would improve the safety of California’s communities by requiring all inmates convicted of a sexually violent offense to be administered a comprehensive risk assessment before their parole hearing. The State Senate approved the bill today while the State Assembly approved it with minor amendments on August 12th.
“Every inmate convicted of a sexually violent offense should be given a risk assessment before their parole hearing,” said Senator Bates, a former social worker. “It’s unfortunate that current law falls short in incorporating this common-sense principle, but I’m grateful that the Legislature agrees that the law must be updated. I urge the Governor to sign my bill to protect people and close a loophole once and for all.”
SB 141 requires the California Board of Parole Hearings to consider the results of a “comprehensive risk assessment for sex offenders” for inmates that have a prior conviction for a sexually violent offense before their parole hearing. The assessment specifically tests for an inmate’s likelihood to engage in sexually violent behavior. Senator Bates partnered with San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan’s office to author the bill.
As the Legislature continues to expand the possibility of early release of inmates sentenced to life terms, SB 141 provides additional assurance that the people the state is releasing into local communities do not pose a public safety risk.
Current law requires the screening of inmates sentenced to a determinate term for their potential to engage in a sexually violent offense before they are released on parole, but not those sentenced to an indeterminate term. SB 141 closes this loophole and ensures that those sentenced to an indeterminate term are also evaluated.
SB 141 is inspired in part by a San Diego man who was convicted of murder and rape with a foreign object in 1989 and is now eligible for parole. The inmate previously was committed as a Mentally Disordered Sex Offender (MDSO) to Patton State Hospital for previous crimes, has been diagnosed with sexual sadism, and was convicted for a sexually violent offense that otherwise qualifies him to stay behind bars.
