Statute Allowing for Lifetime Community Parole Declared Unconstitutional

On June 11, 2014, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the law allowing for community parole supervision for life (CPSL) is unconstitutional.

Certain convicted sex offenders were subject to CPSL, which authorized the parole board to supervise them for many years (and sometimes life) and impose jail sentences upon them if they violated the conditions of their parole (which were often very restrictive).  The SJC ruled that the law violated the separation of powers doctrine in that it allowed the parole board, not a judge, to impose a new sentence on a defendant.  Some victim advocated decried the Court’s decision and some lawmakers vowed to pass new legislation that will pass constitutional muster.  According to the Boston Globe, there are about 300 sex offenders who were supervised under the CPSL law.

See the Globe article