Batten

BACKGROUND

Batten was convicted of first degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison. She was released on parole in August 2017. She generally performed well on parole, and her parole agent recommended her for an early discharge from parole. But at a parole revocation hearing in December 2023, Batten admitted two violations of the conditions of her parole based on an incident in 2021: driving under the influence and failing to inform her parole agent of her resulting arrest. The trial court ordered Batten’s parole revoked and remanded her to the custody of the CDCR and the jurisdiction of the Board of Parole Hearings (Board) for future parole consideration. In June 2024, the Board denied Batten’s request for parole for one year.

DISCUSSION

Pursuant to section 3000.1, subdivision (a), any inmate sentenced to life in prison for first or second degree murder is released on parole, if at all, for the rest of the inmate’s life. If an inmate released on lifetime parole under section 3000.1 is found to have violated the conditions of parole, the trial court must remand the parolee “to the custody of the [CDCR] and the jurisdiction of the Board of Parole Hearings for the…