Alabama lawmakers advance bill letting inmates speak at parole hearings

A legislative committee connected Thursday precocious a measure to let authorities inmates, for the archetypal time, to talk by telephone oregon video league astatine their parole hearings.

The House Judiciary Committee approved the measure aft adding an amendment to springiness victims and instrumentality enforcement officials the enactment to besides enactment by physics means alternatively of driving to Montgomery for the parole hearing.

The bill, which was approved successful the Senate without a dissenting vote, present moves to the Alabama House of Representatives to beryllium considered successful the last 3 days of the legislative session.

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Alabama is 1 of 2 states that bash not let inmates to talk astatine parole hearings.

"SB 312 gives the incarcerated inmate the quality to enactment successful the proceeding and much importantly, it gives the Parole Board different accidental oregon an accidental to question that inmate," Republican Sen. Will Barfoot, the measure sponsor, said.

Exterior presumption of the Alabama State Capitol connected March 22, 2020 successful Montgomery, Alabama. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

The support came aft earlier disagreements implicit a connection that would person weakened the measure by letting the Parole Board determine whether inmates could participate.

Wanda Miller, enforcement manager of VOCAL, a victims advocacy group, said her enactment opposes the measure due to the fact that it believes the existent strategy is adequate. Miller said unfortunate advocacy groups had suggested the amendment to let victims and law enforcement officials to besides talk by telephone oregon video conference.

Barfoot said that volition marque it easier for victims and instrumentality enforcement officials to enactment successful hearings alternatively of "driving sometimes 3 hours to beryllium done a 10- oregon 15-minute hearing."

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If approved, the measurement would go effectual connected Oct. 1.