This bill proposes significant updates to the Arizona Revised Statutes regarding parole eligibility for individuals sentenced for offenses committed as juveniles. Under the new provisions, individuals who were sentenced to serve twenty-five years or more for offenses committed when they were under eighteen and have completed at least fifteen years of their sentence would be eligible for parole. The bill also establishes the right to a parole hearing for these individuals, regardless of whether they are serving concurrent or consecutive sentences, and mandates their presence at the hearing unless they choose to waive it.

Additionally, the bill outlines specific mitigating factors that the Board of Executive Clemency must consider during parole hearings, such as the individual's age at the time of the offense, compliance with facility rules, completion of available programs, and evidence of rehabilitation. If parole is denied, the board must provide written reasons and ensure the individual remains eligible for annual parole hearings. The bill also allows for a presumption in favor of release on parole, which can only be rebutted by evidence of a continued threat to public safety. Furthermore, it modifies sentencing guidelines for juveniles convicted as adults, prohibiting sentences of death, natural life, de facto life, or life without the possibility of parole.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 31-419