CT State Rep. Eyes Revisions To Early Parole Rules

by Donald Eng CTNewsJunkie

HARTFORD, CT — Does a person’s actions as a juvenile justify punishing them for the rest of their lives? State Rep. Kadeem Roberts, D-Norwalk, and coalition of advocates held a media briefing Wednesday at the Legislative Office Building to say no.

The group is pushing for revisions to Connecticut’s early parole laws to change the eligibility requirements. Early parole in Connecticut is granted by the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Generally, a person sentenced to more than two years must serve half of their sentence for non-violent crimes or 85% of their sentence for violent crimes to be eligible. Those convicted of murder are not eligible for early parole.

“Under the current Connecticut law, individuals who were under the age of 21 at the time of their sentencing are only eligible for early parole if they were sentenced before Oct. 1, 2005,” Roberts said. “This bill that we’re proposing this session would eliminate that Oct. 1 date in 2005 and raise the age from 21 and younger at the time of the sentencing to younger than 26.”

Kathryn Thomas speaks about changes to early parole rules at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, CT on Feb. 11, 2026. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie

Kathryn Thomas, a licensed clinical psychologist and attorney, said she regularly provides treatment to people with histories of incarceration.

“I’ve seen firsthand the long-term consequences of incarceration during adolescence and young adulthood,” she said.

Research has shown that people’s brains continue to develop and mature until the mid-to-late-20s, in ways that are important to decision making and impulse control, Thomas said.

“As a result, youth and young adults are more likely to engage in risky, impulsive behavior and are more susceptible to negative peer influence,” Thomas said. “Rates of risky behaviors, including criminal behavior, tend to peak in late adolescence and decline significantly through the 20s as the brain finishes developing.”

Longitudinal studies indicate that most adolescents will age out of criminal behavior, and will not continue to commit crimes as adults, she said.

Advocates said early parole eligibility changes would allow a second look after brain development has progressed, and would allow parole decisions based on who a person is now, rather than who they were at 18 or 21.

According to a UConn study into Public Act 15-84, the 2015 law that created early parole rules for juvenile offenders, as of January 2025, 14 of 123 people released under the law had “recidivated,” which is defined as being reincarcerated or absconding, and most of the violations were for technical parole violations like missed appointments. That rate is lower than the state’s general prison population, which ranges from 43% to 49%, according to the study.

Roberts said the proposal was not an example of being soft on crime.

“It’s about being smart on justice,” he said. “Rehabilitation has proven to reduce recidivism. People who are given opportunities to grow are less likely to reoffend and more likely to become contributing members of our community.”