SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico state Senate is advancing a bill that would allow minors who commit serious crimes to be eligible for parole earlier than criminals sentenced as adults.
The bill would enshrine Supreme Court rulings that have found life sentences without parole violates the constitutional rights of adolescents, including for crimes such as murder. If passed, the New Mexico bill would allow juvenile offenders to have a parole hearing within 15 years of their initial sentence.
The bill would apply to youth aged 14-17 convicted of serious crimes including murder. If passed, it could affect around 90 inmates in the state.