Senate Bill 94 Passes Through the California Senate

Heidi • May 30, 2023

Bill seeking judicial review of old LWOP sentences now in CA Assembly

Senate Bill 94 has passed through the California Senate. This bill provides judicial review for individuals serving a sentence of Life Without Parole for an offense that occurred before 1990 in California. On to the Assembly!


We are so proud of Senator Dave Cortese for carrying this important bill and for Senator Scott Wiener and Senator Nancy Skinner for proudly championing the bill on the floor. We are also deeply grateful to all the Senators who provided "Yea" votes in passing this safe, sane, and compassionate sentencing reform.


We want to send a special shout out to Ella Baker Center's Glenn Backes and Natasha Minsker of Smart Justice California for carrying this bill through this important hurdle.


None of this would be possible without our amazing DropLWOP co-sponsor coalition: Families United to End Life Without Parole, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Center for Employment Opportunities, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Ella Baker Center, Californians United for a Responsible Budget, and the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition.

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