Democrat Says Bill Releasing Dangerous Felons Early Will Help Victims ‘Heal’

According to Rep. Debra Lekanoff (D-Bow), reducing sentences for violent felons isn’t just about giving criminals another chance—it’s somehow a path for victims to “heal.” Apparently, victims are supposed to find solace in knowing that their attackers are back on the streets years ahead of schedule.

House Bill 1274 (HB 1274) retroactively eliminates “juvenile points” from an offender’s score, which means anyone currently serving time for an adult conviction where past juvenile crimes factored into their sentence is now entitled to resentencing. Why? The bill claims it’s because “black, indigenous, and people of color are disproportionately impacted by prior juvenile felony adjudications.” In other words, too many “black, indigenous, and people of color” committed crimes as juveniles and have to live with the consequences.

This isn’t about helping kids who made a mistake—these are full-grown adults who committed violent crimes and are now poised to get massive sentence reductions, whether their victims like it or not. When Democrats push soft-on-crime policies, they usually try to mask the reality with buzzwords like “restorative justice” and “reform.” But HB 1274 takes the dishonesty to a new level.

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The bill establishes an automatic right to resentencing for certain felons.

Offenders would see their sentences cut by an average nine years simply because Washington Democrats have decided their prior juvenile crimes should no longer count. According to Rep. Brian Burnett (R-Wenatchee), about 856 current inmates would be eligible for this benefit, with no requirement that they show evidence of rehabilitation.

Burnett raised a fundamental question: “What was the crime as the juvenile, and what was the crime as an adult?” This is crucial because we’re not talking about minor offenses. These are criminals who committed serious, often violent crimes both as juveniles and adults. It’s why they’re in prison in a state where it’s notoriously difficult to face any serious consequences.

Yet, under HB 1274, the qualification for a reduced sentence is having a juvenile record—meaning if someone was a lifelong criminal from a young age, they actually get a sentencing break. As Burnett put it, “Resentencing should not be taken lightly, and it most certainly should not be automatic.

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Rep. Lekanoff’s claim that HB 1274 provides a “time of healing” is an insult to victims. The logic is that by cutting sentences short, we’re somehow bringing criminals and victims together in some communal therapeutic journey.

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HB 1274 isn’t about fairness. It’s about advancing a radical agenda that treats criminals as the true victims.

The bill itself makes this clear, with multiple references to “racial disproportionality” as the justification for these automatic sentence reductions. Instead of addressing the root causes of crime, Democrats are simply emptying prisons.

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