DATE:
August 26, 2025
28
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE: SUPPORTING SENATE BILL 286 (MARY BELLA'S LAW) AND ASSEMBLY BILL 47 (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Public safety is the most fundamental responsibility of government. Yet under current California law, individuals convicted of the most egregious violent sex crimes, including the rape and molestation of children, can become eligible for parole simply because they have turned 50 years old and served 20 years of their sentence. This arbitrary standard ignores the lifelong trauma inflicted on victims, fails to reflect the severity of these offenses, and undermines public trust in the justice system.
State Senate Bill?286 (SB 286), also known as Mary Bella's Law authored by Senator Brian Jones, is a bipartisan effort to close this dangerous loophole in California's Elderly Parole Program. SB?286 would ensure that violent sex offenders, including rapists and child molesters, are excluded from early parole eligibility under the reduced 50/20 threshold, keeping them ineligible regardless of age or time served.
Mary Bella's Law is named after two survivors of horrific abuse, Mary Johnson and Bella Clark. Mary Johnson was sexually abused by her uncle, Cody Woodsen Klemp, who was found guilty and sentenced to 170 years in prison. Despite the seriousness of his crimes and the length of his sentence, Klemp became eligible for parole after just 29 years because of his age. Bella Clark was only five years old when she was kidnapped and sexually abused by Charles William Mix. Although Mix received a 350-year sentence, he became eligible for parole after only 20 years under current law.
These cases highlight the deep flaws in the existing system. Aging alone should never absolve the most violent offenders of the full consequences of their crimes. Victims and their families deserve the assurance that justice will be upheld throughout the entirety of the sentence.
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