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August 20, 2002 Protest

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On August 20, 2002, demonstrators in four cities (San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego) demanded an end to Gov. Davis' "no parole" policy. In response, Gov. Davis and his representatives held press conferences defending his parole record. (To date, Davis has only approved parole for 2 of the 174 cases that have come before him). See an LA Times article about the protests.

Davis' Parole Decisions Protested: Marchers say he has wrongly rejected freedom for many battered women who killed their abusers.

Demonstrators rallied in four California cities Tuesday to protest Gov. Gray Davis' rejection of parole for many battered women who killed their abusers.

The protesters accused the governor of playing politics with the lives of the inmates, who have been judged rehabilitated and approved for release by the state parole board, whose members were appointed by Davis. protestphotos

"It's a travesty of justice," said Diana Block, who took part in the Sacramento rally and represents the California Coalition for Battered Women in Prison. "Any objective person who looked at these women's records would agree they deserve to be freed."

Critics say Davis, who is running for reelection, refuses to release eligible convicts because he fears that a parolee might commit a new crime and wind up in a campaign ad against him.

But Byron Tucker, Davis' press secretary, disputed that characterization, saying the governor acts with public safety--not politics--in mind. protestphotos

"The governor evaluates each case individually and on its merits," Tucker said. "He gives all of these cases a painstaking review. Some of them meet his criteria, and some of these people are not deserving of parole."

Shortly after taking office, Davis seemed to signal his intention with regard to parole for convicted murderers, saying: "If you take someone else's life, forget it." protestphotos

His staff insists that the statement was political hyperbole. But critics say the governor's record proves he meant what he said.

Since Davis took office, the state Board of Prison Terms has recommended freedom for 123 convicted murderers. Davis has approved parole for two--both of them battered women imprisoned for killing their abusers. He has rejected parole for nine other women who the board concluded committed their crimes because they were being battered.

That overall record makes Davis, a Democrat, far less forgiving than his GOP predecessor, Pete Wilson. In Wilson's final three years in office, he allowed more than two dozen convicted murderers to go free on parole.

Tuesday's rallies reflect the criticism that Davis has faced on a number of fronts regarding his parole decisions--especially those that involve battered women. The Legislature's women's caucus, for example, has become increasingly active on the issue, lobbying Davis on behalf of several women whose cases were before him.

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