California court rejects early releases for violent crime

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Supreme Court has ruled that corrections officials need not consider earlier release for violent felons. The ruling Monday stems from inmates’ latest attempt to expand the application of a 2016 ballot initiative. Proposition 57 allows most inmates to seek earlier paroles as a way to encourage rehabilitation and reduce mass incarceration. The high court ruled that the parole opportunity does not apply to prisoners serving sentences for a combination of violent and nonviolent felonies. That applies even to those whose primary offense is considered nonviolent under state law.