Sponsor Statement for SB 287

Parole Considerations

In 1994, the Legislature passed, and the voters approved a constitutional amendment that strengthened the rights of victims of crimes. Among the rights enumerated is the right of a victim to be present at parole hearings.

Senate Bill 287 addresses the emotional trauma for victims when an inmate, eligible for parole, waives that parole hearing and essentially ends up on an automatic schedule of reappearances before the Parole Board.

This situation is not a common one, but it is still traumatic for the victim or the victim’s family to gird themselves up for a planned parole hearing and to have that hearing canceled within 24 hours at the direction of the inmate, only then to be rescheduled and canceled every 30 days.

This bill puts the inmate on a schedule set by the Board, while meeting the ex post facto requirements of Alaska’s Constitution in Article 1, Sections 1 and 7 and the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 15.

This bill is supported by Victims for Justice.