CALIFORNIA – Senate Bill 672 (SB 672) passed the Senate, 24-11 on June 3.
The Youth Rehabilitation & Opportunity Act allows inmates sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) for crimes committed before age 26 to request a parole hearing after serving at least 25 years in prison.
The bill now moves to the assembly for approval.
SB 672, authored by senator Susan Rubio, effectively expands eligibility for a youth offender parole hearing by increasing the current age limit from 18 to 25.
Rubio says the measure is grounded in neuroscience that shows the brain continues developing into the mid-20s and recognizes that young adults can grow and change.
Bill provides a process for review, not release
According to Rubio, the California Board of Parole maintains full discretion to determine whether a person has truly been rehabilitated and no longer poses a risk to public safety.
The bill provides a process for review, not release – no one is let out automatically, and victims retain full participation and notification rights.
It also does not apply to the most heinous crimes.
Individuals convicted of murdering a law enforcement officer, torture, mass shootings, hate crimes, killing a judge or government official, murder with an explosive device, or violent sexual offenses – including child abuse and sex trafficking of a minor – are excluded.
The bill requires the board to complete all youth offender parole hearings by January 1, 2028, for eligible individuals.
1,634 individuals will require parole hearings
The California Department of Corrections Rehabilitation (CDCR) estimates that 1,634 individuals will require parole hearings by January 1, 2028, if SB 672 passes.
One critic says the bill will open the prison gates for over 1,600 cold-blooded killers.
“And if America isn’t paying attention, this kind of insanity is coming to a state near you,” posted Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones on X.
 which allows inmates sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) for crimes committed before age 26 to request a parole hearing after serving at least 25 years in prison, passed the Senate, 24-11 on June 3.){kind=link}