California bill raises elderly parole minimum age to 65

(The Center Square) – If a new bill passes in the California Legislature this year, inmates in the state’s prisons would have to wait until they are 65 to qualify for elderly parole. Current law allows inmates who are at least 50 years old and have served 20 years in prison to qualify for elderly parole. Those who are at least 60 and have served 25 years can also qualify. However, with some lawmakers believing that isn’t old enough to qualify for elderly parole, Assembly Bill 2570 would push for the minimum age to be higher. “What we’re trying to do is address the most egregious judgement, and that is someone is elderly at 50,” Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, who introduced the bill, told The Center Square on Thursday afternoon. “Who believes that? Maybe a teenager, maybe an elementary student, but we’ve got to be better than that.” The minimum age of 65 was proposed in the bill because that's when seniors become eligi