An advocacy law firm is suing the state of Alaska on behalf of a Palmer inmate over an alleged disparity of treatment in the parole process for those found guilty but mentally ill.
Most prisoners in the state are up for parole after serving two-thirds of their sentence if enough time is credited for good behavior, according to the lawsuit filed Friday by the Northern Justice Project for 59-year-old Kenneth Pruitt. The lawsuit says there is no such process for mentally ill defendants.
Pruitt was convicted in 1992 for attempted murder and other charges. The lawsuit says he would have been eligible for mandatory parole in September 2014 if not for the Alaska Department of Correction’s position on mentally ill offenders.
Alaska officials declined to comment Friday, saying the state has not yet been served with the complaint.
