A California inmate serving a lengthy prison sentence will be eligible for another parole hearing in the coming months, renewing debate over the state’s Elderly Release Program and how it applies to violent offenders, as reported by Fox News.

The case involves Israel Ceja, 63, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was convicted in 2000 in Yolo County for crimes involving his underage stepdaughter. He was sentenced to 139 years in prison.

Earlier this year, a two-commissioner parole board panel granted Ceja early release after he had served roughly 20% of his sentence. According to Yolo County District Attorney Jeffrey Reisig, the decision was made without notifying the victim or the district attorney’s office that prosecuted the case more than two decades ago.

Following public pressure, Gov. Gavin Newsom convened an en banc parole board to review the decision. The board ultimately blocked Ceja’s release on Wednesday, but the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed that a new parole hearing has been scheduled.

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Reisig has criticized the law that made Ceja eligible for parole, urging state officials to address what he described as gaps in the system.

"Nobody wants this," Reisig said. "The general public does not want this, and all they're doing is victimizing, re-victimizing the victims and the communities. Nobody wants these guys coming back to their community."

"It's twisted," Reisig added.

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"This is twisted stuff."

The Elderly Release Program was established in 2014, allowing inmates aged 65 or older who had served at least 25 years to be considered for parole.

In 2020, a law signed by Newsom lowered the eligibility threshold to 50 years old with at least 20 years served. The changes were part of broader criminal justice reforms aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.

Under the current framework, certain categories of inmates — including those serving life without parole or facing the death penalty — are not eligible. However, inmates convicted of violent crimes, including sex offenses involving minors, may still be considered for parole under the program.

The issue has drawn attention from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Republican state Sen. Roger Niello introduced legislation that would have excluded individuals convicted of certain sex offenses from eligibility, but the measure did not advance out of the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Democratic Assembly member Stephanie Nguyen proposed Assembly Bill 2727, which would raise the age threshold for parole eligibility for certain offenders from 50 to 65 and require psychological evaluations.

While the bill passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee, provisions that would have permanently barred some offenders from early release were removed during revisions.

Reisig has called on Newsom to take additional action, including issuing an executive order to limit parole eligibility for offenders convicted of crimes involving minors.

"He could issue a moratorium on any elderly parole releases of child rapists with the stroke of a pen," Reisig said. "He doesn't want to admit that, but he did it for the death penalty. He could do it here."

"Step up, protect children," Reisig continued. "Stop allowing child rapists to get out early."

An official from the governor’s office stated that Newsom’s authority to reverse parole decisions is limited to murder cases. In other instances, the governor can refer decisions back to the Board of Parole Hearings for further review.

State officials also noted that fewer than 12% of scheduled parole hearings result in release, citing what they described as stringent evaluation processes.

During a previous hearing, Ceja told commissioners he planned to return to Mexico if released, and officials indicated he would likely be deported. One commissioner stated they were not "unleashing a dangerous man" but believed he could be an "excellent citizen" in Mexico.

The case has also drawn responses from the victim, Roxanne Cruz, who spoke during a press conference about concerns raised by Ceja’s statements during the parole process.

"You don’t understand what he meant when he said he would "pray." He told you guys right there what he was going to do," Cruz said. "That he was going to go out and prey on little kids, not that he was going to be praying to God."

Newsom has acknowledged concerns about the program in recent weeks, stating that additional scrutiny may be needed in cases involving violent offenders.

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