HOUSTON — At the state capitol on Monday, those for and against HB 1064, known as the "Good Time Credit Bill" testified before the House Corrections Committee.
The bill, if passed, would allow violent offenders to receive earned time credit that could make them eligible for parole a lot sooner. Crime victims' families in Houston are fighting to make sure it never becomes law.
That includes Paul Castro. Nearly two years after his 17-year-old son, David, was shot and killed while leaving an Astros game, Paul is still grieving and fighting to keep his son's killer behind bars.
"The person who killed my son was on parole when he killed my son," Castro said. "These early releases have real impacts."
Gerald Williams pleaded guilty to killing David earlier this year. The plea deal meant Williams would serve 30 years in prison for the crime. He'd be eligible for parole in 15, but now, a new bill at the state legislature could change everything.
"It's infuriating. It makes me sick to my stomach, to be honest with you," Castro said. "Should this law happen, he would get out in seven years for killing my son."
House Bill 1064 was filed by Democratic State Rep. Carl Sherman. He spoke about the bill in Austin.
"HB 1064 provides an incentive for all offenders with parole eligibility to make the best of their time spent incarcerated," Sherman said.
Right now, violent offenders must serve 50% of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole. If passed, violent offenders could earn time credit through good behavior and education and vocational programs. They could face a parole board after serving only 25% of their sentence.
"We are not asking for thousands of incarcerated to be released into society after the passing of this bill," said Shelly Sexton, with Texas Incarcerated Families Association.
The parole board will still have the final call on who's released and who isn't. Supporters of the bill said inmates deserve a chance at rehab. But victims' families said the bill is "misplaced sympathy."
"That's just not fair," Castro said. "We should be more concerned for the person who was offended."
Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers of Houston said that if this bill becomes law, approximately 5,000 inmates could be automatically eligible for parole.