SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An advisory committee to Gov. Gavin Newsom says California should allow all but death row inmates and those spending life behind bars without the chance of parole to request lighter sentences after serving at least 15 years.
It's part of the group's recommendations for a dramatic overhaul of state sentencing laws.
In a report released Tuesday, the panel said the nation's most populated state should limit sentencing enhancements that are imposed with “extreme racial disparities.”
Two state lawmakers announced measures echoing some of the suggestions. Committee chairman Michael Romano told The Associated Press that if all 10 recommendations were adopted, “they would impact almost every area of California’s criminal legal system.”
