Committee Hears Broad Testimony for Bill Letting Some Lifers Seek Parole at Age 60

Summary

Lawmakers and dozens of witnesses debated House Bill 638, which would allow certain inmates serving life without parole to be eligible for parole hearings at age 60 after at least 18 years served; supporters said it creates a narrow second look and may reduce incarceration costs, opponents raised victims’ concerns.

House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee members heard hours of testimony — much of it from survivors, advocates and the family members of long‑term prisoners — on House Bill 638, which would make some people serving life without parole eligible to request a parole hearing when they turn 60 if they have served at least 18 years and have no major conduct violations in the prior 10 years.

Representative David Muse (Portsmouth), the bill’s prime sponsor, told the panel the measure is not aimed at any one person but at the question of whether “there is a point where our need for retribution as a society can end.” Under the proposal, prisoners convicted of capital murder under RSA 630:1 would be excluded. Muse cited the state Department of Corrections fiscal note that estimated 15 inmates would have been eligible at the end of 2024 under the…

Committee Hears Broad Testimony for Bill Letting Some Lifers Seek Parole at Age 60

Summary

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