In California, people are being denied parole NOT because they pose a real threat to public safety — but because of confidential information they cannot see, challenge, or defend themselves against. This is happening to individuals who have worked hard to turn their lives around: earning college degrees, completing rehabilitative programs, receiving certificates, and maintaining clean disciplinary records for years.

Despite clear evidence of growth and change, parole boards are relying on vague, uncorroborated statements from confidential informants — people who are often incentivized to fabricate or exaggerate claims — to justify continued incarceration.This is not justice. It is not rehabilitation, and it is not due process.

California’s parole process should be based on fairness, transparency, and rehabilitation — not hearsay and secrecy. Yet today, incarcerated individuals are routinely denied parole based on confidential, unverified information provided by informants — information that cannot be challenged, cross-examined, or disproven. This practice is not only unjust — it violates the principles of due process and accountability.

It is unacceptable to hold someone’s freedom hostage based on what another person says behind closed doors.

Too often, parole boards rely on confidential memos, coded reports, or vague summaries of alleged behavior that the incarcerated individual cannot see or respond to. In some cases, parole is denied simply because of accusations from jailhouse informants — people who may be motivated by personal gain, fear, or retaliation. These allegations may never be corroborated or tested, yet they are used to justify continued incarceration.

This is especially harmful to people who have demonstrated true rehabilitation — earning college degrees, completing extensive self-help programs, receiving certifications, and maintaining clean disciplinary records for years. Despite all this, they are still labeled a “threat to public safety” because of someone else’s words — words they are not even allowed to confront.

We demand that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH), and relevant state and federal authorities:

1. Disqualify all confidential informant information from being used in parole hearings. Allegations that cannot be cross-examined or verified should not be admissible in determining a person’s future.
2. Ensure that every individual has access to all evidence being used against them in parole decisions. No one should be judged on secret information they cannot see or challenge.
3. Make rehabilitation, education, and positive behavior the primary basis for parole decisions — not unverified hearsay.

Using secret, confidential claims to deny parole is unjust, unreliable, and counterproductive to rehabilitation. It erodes trust in the system and denies second chances to people who have worked hard to earn them.

Freedom should not be denied based on hearsay and hidden accusations. Stand with us to demand transparency, fairness, and real second chances.

Sign this petition to demand justice for immediate reform of California’s parole system.