The Senate Judiciary Committee met this afternoon to discuss parole for second-degree murder with Senate Bill 137.
Senate Bill 137 plans to amend §61-2-3 of the West Virginia code to change parole eligibility and sentencing for second-degree murder. Under this bill, a person will have to serve 15 years before becoming parole eligible. In the current code, the minimum time served until parole is 10 years.
In addition, a second-degree murder sentence cannot surpass 60 years, the previous amount being 40 years.
Putnam County prosecutor Kris Raynes spoke to the committee in favor of the bill extension.
“If they are denied at the first chance, they have every three years to go up before the parole board again. This is very trauma-inducing for the families that have to relive this every three years,” Raynes said.
Following the meeting, Senate Bill 137 was recommended for passage and moved to the full Senate.
