The bill amends Washington state law to enhance the involvement of victims in hearings conducted by the indeterminate sentence review board. Key provisions include the requirement for offender evaluations to assess their likelihood of reoffending and compliance with restorative justice conditions. Victims are granted the right to present statements during hearings, intervene, and object to the release of offenders, with the board mandated to give significant weight to these objections and document their findings in writing. The legislation aims to strengthen the role of victims in the criminal justice process while ensuring public safety remains a priority in decisions regarding offender release.

Additionally, the bill outlines the responsibilities of the secretary of corrections in overseeing individuals conditionally pardoned by the governor and establishes that the indeterminate sentence review board must conduct public hearings before supporting any pardon applications. It emphasizes the importance of victim input in the pardon process, allowing victims, survivors, and witnesses to present objections. The board is required to give "great weight" to these objections, considering them as indicators of whether the convicted person has met restorative justice conditions, and to document these objections in the comprehensive minutes of board meetings, which must be made publicly available.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 9.95.420, 10.95.030, 9.94A.730, 7.69.032, 9.95.422