California Senate Democrats in the Public Safety Committee continued their destructive path of placing convicted felons first through early prison release and refused to support Senate Bill 288, officials said Tuesday. 

SB 288 would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to make the calculations of a prisoner’s early release public, including what the inmate did to earn any credits, according to officials. 

“I am extremely disappointed that Senate Democrats blocked this measure as they are very aware that California’s broken criminal justice system has resulted in innocent lives lost,” said Minority Caucus Chair Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach, who authored SB 288 which was part of the Caucus’ Fix California Legislative package. 

SB 288 would have brought accountability for early release programs following several secretive releases that later ended in horror, according to officials.  

“Disappointed to see the legislature block a chance at adding much-needed accountability in the early release process of violent felons,” Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, said in a tweet. 

“The public deserves to understand how and why a dangerous person is released. There are too many victims because of this lack of transparency.”

The 1-3 vote stalling SB 288 fell along party lines, with the Sacramento Supermajority opposing the bill and the Committee’s lone Republican supporting the measure.
The bill was granted reconsideration and will be heard at a later hearing of the Senate Public Safety Committee, according to officials.    

All members of the California Senate Republican Caucus support the measure.   

One of those tragic losses tied to the early release program was this year when Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. was murdered in the line of duty in January by a 23-year-old convicted felon with a history of firearms possession, robbery and drug offenses who inexplicably was given early release in September 2022, according to officials.   

“Time and time again, violent felons are granted early release and then go on to commit additional violent crimes,” Nguyen said. “Just a year ago, convicted career criminal Smiley Martin was granted early release from prison to only days after his release go on to participate in a massacre shooting only a few blocks from the Capitol. Not even the former COULDCR Secretary could explain how Martin earned those early release credits so quickly. Something must change.”  

Fresno County District Attorney Lisa A. Smittcamp’s office prosecuted the 23-year-old felon who killed Officer Carrasco and has also been vocal about Sacramento Democrats’ failed public safety reforms.   

“The People of the State of California deserve to have information available to them regarding the release of prisoners from the CDCR, as the release of these criminals directly affects public safety,” Smittcamp said. “The construction of Proposition 57 allows for CDCR to grant time credits to inmates without any public, judicial or external review. This statute would remedy the omission of Proposition 57, as well as provide a system of checks and balances to ensure that time credits are being earned, and not arbitrarily given to inmates. Good behavior, rehabilitation and education time credits should be earned by the inmate, not given away by an administrative agent of CDCR. Nothing in this legislation violates any privacy or HIPAA rights of inmates. CDCR is a public institution, funded by taxpayer dollars and the public that pays for the services provided by the institution should be privy to the information regarding the allocation of time credits given.”

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