A Senate bill filed by State Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) would prevent the parole board from penalizing inmates who claim they are innocent of the crimes for which they seek parole.
The bill, SB 2276, would prohibit the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles from adopting any rule, policy, or practice penalizing or denying privileges to inmates who fail to take responsibility for the crimes they are in prison for if the prisoner has maintained his or her innocence at trial and throughout the appeals process.
If passed, the legislation would essentially reverse decades of unwritten policy in which the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has refused to grant or delayed granting parole for eligible inmates who do not confess to the crimes they have committed and express some remorse for their actions.
March 16, 2009 at 7:08 pm
[...] Bill Would Stop Parole Board From Penalizing Inmates Who Claim Innocence [...]