Once Upon A Time - Automated Advocacy

In 2014, SB (Senate Bill) 260 created special youth offender parole hearings for individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crimes under Penal Code sections 3051 and 3051.1 (“SB 260 Hearings”) In October 2015 Governor Brown signed into law SB 261, which expands SB 260 Hearings to include people who committed their offense when they were ages 18 through 22, and who have already served 15, 20 or 25 years. 

These hearings take into consideration:
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1) the facts that youth are less responsible than adults for their actions;
2) the features of youth (for example; youth are not as good as adults at understanding the risks and consequences of their actions, resisting impulse and peer pressure, or controlling their surroundings, etc.); and
3) any rehabilitation and increased maturity over time. 

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Fallen Justice and its team of pro bono attorney's used to be able to appear on behalf of individuals granted a Prop 261 hearing. Today only the inmate is entitled to appear. There is no advocacy just a hearing baed on the discretion of the system, safety considerations, and other standard factors for parole. 

Our highly dedicated and motivated representatives are still here to assist in providing the most up to date information regarding options for release, and will continue to work towards reacclimatizing the individual to society. We believe part of the solution to remedying  the lack of advocacy at the time of a hearing is the availability of mentorship.

Mentorship takes a step beyond job placement and counseling. Additionally, mentorship allows an individual to develop more than a skillset we believe no one learns in a vacuum, and when an individual has the ability to absorb the wisdom of others, when the time is right, they will pay it forward. 

​“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”