By Bob Walsh
Thirty years ago Kim Forrest Walters was sent to prison for five rapes. He was sentenced to 141 years in prison, which meant that the vicious sexual psychopath would never live long enough to be considered for parole. California’s Elderly Parole Program has changed all that.
This program guarantees parole hearings (though not necessarily release) once they have served 25 years and are at least 60 years old. The program was initiated by a three judge panel of the federal bench in 2013 to cut down on prison population. A recent attempt to get the term lowered to 15 years and the age lowered to 50 years via an act of the California legislature failed.
In Santa Clara County last year slightly over 10% of the crimes are known to have been committed by persons over 50, including seven murders and 55 sexual assaults.
Since the program began not quite 1,200 inmates have filed for consideration and have had hearings. Of those, 317 have been granted release on parole.
Walters had, at the time of his last rape spree, been released after having served less than half of an eleven year sentence for rape.
Only persons serving a sentence of life without parole or condemned prisoners are not eligible for this program.
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