News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Leman Sets Limits on Parole Hearings

For Immediate Release: February 10, 1998 Contact: Senator Loren Leman, 465-2095

Juneau – Prisoners who request a discretionary parole hearing and then voluntarily withdraw the request will have to wait six months before they are eligible for another parole hearing, under a bill introduced today by Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage).

"When a prisoner cancels a parole hearing, the prisoner’s name now ends up on an automatic schedule of reappearances before the Parole Board," noted Senator Leman, prime sponsor of Senate Bill 287. "While it is not a common occurrence, we have had situations where these parole hearings are routinely rescheduled and then canceled again, every 30 days! This creates needless expense and emotional trauma for crime victims, who receive notices of these hearings and are entitled by law to attend."

In 1994 the Legislature passed, and voters approved, the Victims’ Rights Amendment to the Alaska Constitution. This amendment granted crime victims several rights, including the right to attend parole hearings. "This is a valuable right, but some inmates appear to be using the provision to further abuse their victims," Leman stated. "Crime victims and their family members ready themselves for this hearing, only to have it canceled at the last minute. Then it is rescheduled, and canceled again."

Under Senate Bill 287, a prisoner who voluntarily requests a hearing and then cancels it will not be eligible for an additional hearing for another six months. The legislation also provides an exception if the Parole Board determines that the new parole application contains relevant information not included in the withdrawn application, and if the new hearing does not cause undue harm to the victim of the crime. SB 287 is supported by Victims for Justice.

"This legislation slams the door on those who are abusing the system," Leman commented. "We cannot allow our parole system to be manipulated in such a way that crime victims are robbed of the peace of mind they deserve."

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