juveniles; parole eligibility; release presumption

SB 1770 allows juveniles sentenced as adults to 25+ years for offenses committed before age 18 to become eligible for parole after serving 15 years. It requires parole hearings considering specific factors like the person’s age at the offense, rehabilitation efforts, family history, and diminished culpability of youth. The bill establishes a presumption in favor of release, which can only be overcome by evidence the individual remains a public safety risk. It also prohibits courts from imposing death, life without parole, or sentences totaling 25+ years for juvenile offenders. This applies to current and future juvenile offenders serving long sentences in Arizona.