Hundreds of people who were given life sentences are about to find themselves facing a complicated question: whether or not they are eligible for parole.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona just filed a petition on behalf of an inmate who was sentenced in 1996 to life without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
The problem is that Arizona got rid of parole for murderers in 1994.
While the language is confusing, what this all boils down to is that these inmates in question have served decades in prison believing they can be eligible for parole, only to find out that they’re not. It’s a problem The Arizona Republic’s Michael Kiefer uncovered last year.
Amy Kalman is the past president of Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice.
