By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO, CA — After significant momentum earlier this year, including passage in the State Senate by a 24–11 vote, Senate Bill 672—the Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act—will now be paused until January 2026. But supporters say the bill is very much alive and that the pause represents a strategic move, not a retreat.
SB 672, authored by Senator Susan Rubio and co-authored by a coalition of lawmakers and advocacy groups, aims to provide parole eligibility for individuals sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) for offenses committed between the ages of 18 and 25. Grounded in neuroscience and constitutional precedent, the bill recognizes that cognitive development—particularly in areas related to judgment, impulse control, and emotional regulation—continues well into a person’s mid-20s.
In a joint announcement issued by the SB 672 advocacy team, including the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Human Rights Watch, Latino Justice, the National LWOP Leadership Council, and the Post-Conviction Justice Project at USC Gould School of Law, advocates emphasized that the pause will allow them to regroup and counter growing misinformation campaigns. They also noted it will give them time to build broader community and legislative support before reintroducing the measure in the Assembly in January 2026.
“We want to emphasize that this pause is not a step back,” the statement read. “We will resume in January exactly where we left off in the Assembly, only better positioned.”
California has made substantial progress over the past decade in reevaluating harsh sentences for young people. Previous legislation—SB 260 (2013), SB 261 (2015), and AB 1308 (2017)—extended parole eligibility to individuals who committed crimes under the age of 26, excluding those sentenced to LWOP. A 2018 law, SB 394, granted parole eligibility to youth under 18 serving LWOP sentences. SB 672 would close the final gap by including young adults aged 18 to 25 sentenced to LWOP who remain categorically excluded from current relief laws.
Under the bill, individuals who were 25 or younger at the time of their controlling offense and have served at least 25 years would be eligible for a parole hearing. Importantly, SB 672 does not guarantee release. It merely allows a case-by-case review of rehabilitation and risk to public safety, consistent with existing parole procedures. Those convicted of specific offenses—such as the murder of law enforcement officers or violent sexual crimes—would remain ineligible.
The advocacy coalition explained that recent waves of media misinformation and public fear-mongering contributed to a toxic political climate, making it difficult for the bill to proceed through the Assembly without risking amendments that would dilute its intent. “We will use this time to engage in community education, outreach, and correcting misinformation,” the coalition said, pointing to the importance of restoring the bill’s original framework—including reversing amendments that excluded those convicted of domestic violence or multiple deaths from parole consideration.
Despite the pause, supporters underscored just how far SB 672 has already advanced. It is the first LWOP reform bill in California to pass the Senate for the 18-to-25 age group. The measure garnered powerful support from criminal justice reformers, families of incarcerated people, and even victims’ advocates who believe in redemption and individualized sentencing.
“We remain steadfast, hopeful, and committed,” the advocacy statement concluded. “Real change takes time, strategy, and an unshakable belief in redemption.”
Scientific research was central to SB 672’s case. Advocates referenced decades of studies showing that the human brain continues to develop into a person’s mid-20s. The legal system, they argue, should recognize that youth and young adults are constitutionally and neurologically different from mature adults.
U.S. Supreme Court rulings in Miller v. Alabama and California’s People v. Franklin have recognized these developmental differences, establishing a foundation for sentencing reform. Supporters also pointed to data from states like Pennsylvania, where reforms to juvenile LWOP have resulted in a recidivism rate of just 1.14 percent among those released—a striking contrast to the public perception that such individuals pose an ongoing risk.
When the California Legislature reconvenes in 2026, SB 672 will pick up where it left off in the Assembly. In the meantime, the coalition will continue educating the public and lawmakers about the bill’s rigorous standards and moral imperative.
“This is not about reducing accountability—it’s about recognizing growth,” said one advocate. “No one is the same person at 45 that they were at 19. The law should reflect that truth.”
The SB 672 coalition encourages community members to stay engaged by writing to legislators, attending educational forums, and sharing accurate information about the bill’s purpose.
