SB 20-076 Summary

• Offenders serving sentences for felonies committed when they were 18-24 years old become eligible for parole after serving 50% of their sentence and at least 15 calendar years in prison.

• Creates a presumption in favor of parole release for eligible offenders who have no code of penal discipline violations in the previous 5 years and no class I violations in the previous 10 years, subject to parole board discretion.

• Parole board must consider whether the purpose of sentencing would be better served by granting parole rather than continuing incarceration for eligible offenders.

• Expands eligibility for a specialized Department of Corrections program (previously limited to juveniles tried as adults) to include young adults aged 18-24 who committed serious crimes and have demonstrated growth and rehabilitation.

• Reduces the required sentence completion time from 25 to 23 calendar years before presumption of release applies for offenders who completed the specialized program.