In an absolute jaw-dropper of a new bill, Democrats in the state of Washington are trying to ram through legislation that would release murderers – so long as they were under 18 years old when they killed and killed fewer than two people – within just years of going to prison. The bill would not only release those killers, but then provide them with free rent after release.
The main sponsor of the bill is Washington State Senator Noel Frame, a far-left Democrat from Seattle. The bill is currently called SB 5266 and, as of the time this article was written, is in its second reading in the state legislature, and has been somewhat modified since it was originally introduced by State Sen. Frame.
Somewhat disingenuously, the bill’s introduction provides that it is “AN ACT Relating to people convicted of one or more crimes committed before the person’s 18th birthday petitioning the indeterminate sentence review board after reaching the age of 24 or older; amending RCW 9.94A.730; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.”
Continuing, it gets into what would be allowed if it is passed, which is the early release of murderers. Beginning, it justifies that by saying SCOTUS found certain sentences for minors illegal, providing, “The legislature recognizes that the United States supreme Court found mandatory life sentences for conduct committed by minors unconstitutional.”
Building on that, it claims that early release of minors will aid in limiting “recidivism,” though it fails to provide how letting murderers out of prison makes communities better off. It said, “The legislature acknowledges that since the federal and state Constitutions demand that most minors convicted of crimes will eventually be released into the community, successful rehabilitation will result in less recidivism in communities following reentry.”
It then justifies early release by pointing to braid development, saying, “The legislature finds that lengthy sentences with little incentive for rehabilitation until decades into incarceration misses a critical development opportunity for youth at a formative time during brain development. Scientific studies have found that brain development impacting decision making continues until age 25 and that this represents a critical period for behavior change, and therefore rehabilitation. The legislature therefore intends to create greater incentives for rehabilitation for youth convicted of offenses prior to their 18th birthday by allowing them to petition the indeterminate sentence review board after reaching the age of 24.”
Then, providing what is not allowed, the bill says, amongst a few minor limitations, “Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any person convicted of one or more crimes committed prior to the person’s 18th birthday may petition the indeterminate sentence review board for early release if: (a) The person reaches the age of 24 or older, unless the person has been convicted of three or more murder offenses, in which case the person may petition after serving no less than 20 years of total confinement.”
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That’s not all. Later on, the bill provides that released murderers can also be provided with free rent, saying, “The department may provide rental vouchers to a person who successfully petitions the board under subsection (1) of this section and is ordered to be released by the board under subsection (3) of this section if rental assistance will allow the petitioner to safely release. The department shall maintain a list of housing providers that meets the requirements of RCW 72.09.285. If more than two voucher recipients will be residing per dwelling unit, as defined in RCW 59.18.030, rental vouchers for those recipients may only be paid to a housing provider on the department’s list. For each successful petitioner who is the recipient of a rental voucher, the department shall gather data as recommended by the Washington state institute for public policy in order to best demonstrate whether rental vouchers are effective in reducing recidivism.”