User:Lariczan/Marsy's Law

Changes Affecting the Granting and Revocation of Parole addition Draft
Parole Suitability Outcomes

Marsy’s law is one of several determining factors when denying an incarcerated individual parole suitability. If an individual is found unsuitable for parole, the board commissioners determine the incarcerated individual’s denial length. Studies indicate a growing relationship between Marsy’s Law and the next date of an incarcerated individual's suitability hearing. The board issued 5-year denials for only 18% of parole suitability cases presented to them before Marsy’s Law. After Marsy’s law, 57% of incarcerated individuals received a denial length longer than 5 years. Statistics reveal that 70% of incarcerated individuals were denied parole in 2015. Public safety concerns can be cited for the increase in denial lengths for incarcerated individuals. An incarcerated individual may receive a shorter denial if commissioners are presented with evidence that reveals the incarcerated individual’s potential suitability for parole. From all suitability hearings presented to the board, 75% of cases have received a denial length of 3 years or more. Granting outcomes result in less parole and more lengthy denial with Marsy's Law.

Criticisms addition Draft
Prisoner Rights and Processes

Marsy’s law was enacted in order to expand and assert victim rights and since the introduction of Marsy’s Law, the community of life sentences serving incarcerated individuals has seen an increase. The United States as of 2021, currently has a life population of 203,000. Ryan S. Appleby criticizes the consequences of Marsy’s Law and the effects of demographics which place life-sentenced individuals at less of an advantage than those who voted for Marsy’s Law. The life-serving individuals lacked the ability to counter the propositions of Marsy’s Law on the lifer community. Marsy’s law has altered the rights and processes of incarcerated individuals further.

Crime survivors are not parole suitability experts. Research conducted criticizes the factored weight of victim testimony during parole suitability hearings and grant outcomes. An incarcerated individual's parole suitability is affected by the crime victim's presence. The research indicates that parole denial will be a result of increased participation of crime survivors during suitability hearings. A prisoner with low recidivism is faced with a board that decides parole suitability is not present due to victim participation. Incarcerated individuals express the difficulty to reveal their efforts to re-enter their communities when victim participation decreases their chances for parole granting outcomes. Criticisms raised the question of the fairness to the rights and processes of incarcerated individuals during their suitability hearings.