SSB 6074
In CommitteeSenate
Parole
Reinstituting parole.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill reinstates parole in Washington State for individuals sentenced for felonies committed on or after July 1, 2027, allowing them to petition for parole after serving 60% of their sentence if they meet specific eligibility criteria. It establishes procedures for parole hearings, revocations, and sanctions, and creates a work group to guide implementation.
- Allows incarcerated individuals sentenced for felonies committed on or after July 1, 2027, to petition for parole after serving 60% of their sentence, provided they were not convicted of crimes committed before age 18, are not serving life without parole, and were not sentenced under specific serious offense statutes (RCW 10.95.030 or 9.94A.507).
- Establishes a Parole Implementation Work Group (by January 1, 2028 and November 30, 2029 reports due) to coordinate implementation, with members appointed by the Department of Corrections—including representatives from the board, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, victim advocates, and others.
- Amends several statutes to clarify that parole (for offenses on or after July 1, 2027) is administered by the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, and outlines procedures for parole hearings, revocations, sanctions, and appeals—including rights to counsel, hearings, and appeal.
- Updates supervision compliance credit rules to exclude individuals released on parole (including under the new law) from earning extra time for compliance, while maintaining the credit for others under community custody.
- Expands public disclosure requirements for parole decisions—including mandatory notice to victims, courts, and prosecutors, and public posting of hearing minutes and records—while preserving confidentiality for victim input.
Who is affected
- Eligible incarcerated individuals sentenced on or after July 1, 2027 — People incarcerated for felonies committed on or after July 1, 2027, who meet the eligibility criteria (no prior conviction for crimes committed before age 18, not serving life without parole, and not convicted under specific serious offense statutes), may petition the board for parole after serving 60% of their sentence.
- Indeterminate Sentence Review Board — The board will gain new authority to grant parole to eligible individuals under the new law, and will also oversee parole revocation hearings and sanctions for those released on parole.
- Department of Corrections — The department of corrections will provide staff support for the parole implementation work group, manage supervision compliance credits, and assist in implementing new parole procedures.
- Crime victims and surviving family members — Victims of crime and their families will receive notice of parole petitions and hearings, and have opportunities to provide input, under new disclosure and notification requirements.
- Legal and advocacy professionals involved in criminal justice — Prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and victim advocates will participate in the parole implementation work group to help design and implement the new parole system.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill reinstates parole for eligible individuals after serving 60% of their sentence, providing a structured, evidence-based pathway to reentry that aligns with corrections research showing reduced recidivism for individuals released under supervised parole vs. mandatory release. This may improve public safety by allowing individualized risk assessment and structured supervision, rather than automatic release at 100% of sentence.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1 (Parole eligibility after 60% of sentence for felonies committed on or after July 1, 2027)The bill mandates advance notice (90 days) to victims and survivors, requires disclosure of all relevant records (including evaluations) to victims, and ensures victim input is considered in parole decisions—while preserving confidentiality of victim communications. This enhances victims’ constitutional rights under Marsy’s Law and promotes restorative justice, though it does not grant victims veto power.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 22 (Victim notification and participation in parole hearings)The bill’s eligibility restrictions—excluding serious violent offenses (aggravated murder, certain sex offenses) and youth-offense convictions—target parole to individuals with lower risk profiles, consistent with corrections research showing parole success for nonviolent and older-offense populations. This design helps balance reentry with public safety.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1 (Eligibility criteria: no prior conviction for crimes committed before age 18, no life without parole, no sentencing under RCW 10.95.030 or 9.94A.507)While parolees are excluded from earning supervision compliance credit, the bill strengthens parole revocation procedures (e.g., right to counsel, appeal rights, graduated sanctions) and requires board review before revocation—reducing arbitrary or punitive revocations and promoting fair, individualized supervision decisions.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 4 (Supervision compliance credit exclusion for parolees)The bill establishes a multi-stakeholder Parole Implementation Work Group to coordinate implementation, ensuring cross-sector input on procedures, training, and policy design. This collaborative approach is likely to improve system coherence, reduce implementation errors, and build trust among justice system actors.
Local GovernmentPeopleRef: Sec. 2 (Work Group with diverse stakeholders: prosecutors, defense, judges, victim advocates, DOC)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill creates a time-limited Parole Implementation Work Group that expires December 1, 2029, requiring ongoing legislative oversight and potentially diverting resources from other state priorities. While this ensures accountability, the sunset provision may limit long-term institutional learning and continuity in parole administration.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 2 (Work Group expiration: Dec. 1, 2029)The bill excludes individuals released on parole from earning supervision compliance credit (10 days/month for compliance), while other community custody populations retain this incentive. This may reduce motivation for parolees to comply with supervision terms, potentially increasing revocation rates and recidivism risk—though the bill does not provide evidence that this exclusion improves public safety outcomes.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 4 (Supervision Compliance Credit exclusion for parolees)The bill mandates comprehensive public disclosure of parole hearing minutes, evaluations, and behavior records—including psychological evaluations—without redaction, except for victim input. While this increases transparency and victim involvement, it may deter some professionals from conducting sensitive evaluations (e.g., mental health assessments) due to privacy concerns, potentially weakening risk assessments.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 22 (Expanded public disclosure of parole records)The bill does not specify fiscal impact, but implementation costs (staffing, hearings, supervision, reporting) are likely modest in Year 1 and grow as parole releases increase. Without a detailed fiscal note, Washingtonians face uncertainty about whether parole expansion will strain DOC budgets or require reallocation from other corrections or community services.
FinancialRef: Fiscal Impact (not specified in bill text)The bill’s eligibility exclusions—especially for offenses under RCW 10.95.030 (aggravated murder) and 9.94A.507 (sex offenses)—are consistent with national parole practices, but the exclusion of all offenses committed before age 18 (even if prosecuted as adult) may disproportionately affect youth offenders who were rehabilitated in prison and poses questions about alignment with developmental science and Supreme Court precedent (e.g., Miller v. Alabama).
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 1 (Eligibility excludes those convicted of crimes committed before age 18, life without parole, or under RCW 10.95.030/9.94A.507)
Who Is Most Affected
Eligible individuals (felonies committed on or after July 1, 2027, serving ≤60% of sentence, not excluded by age/ offense criteria) gain a meaningful opportunity for supervised release and reintegration—potentially reducing long-term incarceration costs and improving family stability. However, those excluded (e.g., youth offenders prosecuted as adults, sex offense convictions) receive no benefit.
The Indeterminate Sentence Review Board gains expanded authority to conduct parole hearings, impose sanctions, and revoke parole—requiring increased staffing, training, and procedural safeguards. This could strain current resources but also modernize the board’s role in a risk-based reentry system.
DOC will provide staff support for the work group, manage supervision compliance credits, and assist in parole implementation. This adds administrative burden but may reduce long-term prison populations and associated costs. The exclusion of parolees from compliance credit may slightly increase DOC supervision workload per parolee.
Victims and survivors gain enhanced rights: 90-day notice, access to all evaluation records, and guaranteed opportunity to speak at hearings. This supports healing and agency, though some may experience renewed trauma during parole proceedings.
Prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and victim advocates gain formal input into parole system design via the work group. This promotes interagency collaboration but may increase legal complexity and procedural delays in parole decisions.