The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Board of Parole Hearings granted early parole to a Paso Robles parent convicted of murdering their toddler more than a decade ago.
The April 22 early parole decision for convict Allie Brown, 42, is an “en banc” one that followed parole granted to her in a suitability hearing last October. An en banc decision means that the full parole board reviewed Brown’s case on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s referral. The board affirmed the hearing panel’s 2024 approval of release. As of April 2025, Brown had served 12 years of her 15-year sentence.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow criticized the board, adding that Proposition 57—which allows only nonviolent prisoners to be released early—contributed to Brown’s early parole.
Approved by voters in 2016, Proposition 57 establishes a parole consideration process for people convicted of nonviolent crimes who have served the full term of their primary criminal offense, ultimately showing they’re no longer a risk to the public. In a bid to decrease recidivism, the proposition also gives incarcerated people the chance to earn more credits for good behavior and participation in rehabilitative, educational, and career training programs.
“As we predicted, in reality, other offenders who are convicted of violent offenses such as the murder of a child, sex crimes, are eligible for these extra credits, … leading to early eligibility of parole,” Dow said in a YouTube video posted on April 26.
According to Dow’s letter to Newsom, Brown identified as a man named Herbert David Brown III at the time of the murder and beat his 22-month-old daughter who had to be admitted to Stanford Medical Center for subsequent treatment. Brown’s daughter, Lily, was taken off life support because of the extent of her injuries. Brown pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and received a sentence of 15 years to life in state prison.
Dow’s letter to Newsom urged the governor to exercise his authority to reverse the early parole. The governor must act within 30 days from April 22 for the reversal to be valid.
“The board further failed to take into account that inmate Brown did not put together comprehensive relapse prevention plans for domestic violence or mental health management,” Dow wrote. “This is alarming because both the life crime and the background of abuse against Lily’s mother involve domestic violence and apparent mental instability. These areas were also of particular concern to the CRA [comprehensive risk assessment] doctor.”
The parole board didn’t respond to New Times‘ requests for comment by press time. A comprehensive risk assessment found Brown presented a “moderate (higher moderate) risk for violence” in 2023.
“When interviewed, she further reported several fights as a youth, one of which led to her expulsion from school for inciting a riot, as well as domestic violence during her relationship with Dawn [the baby’s mother],” the forensic psychologist who completed the assessment wrote.
The phsychologist said that Brown had a documented history of other violent incidents, including a 2008 arrest for obstructing and/or resisting a peace officer, and a 2014 incident in jail that resulted in a write-up for resisting staff.
“Brown has done self-help programming but didn’t express responsibility for Lily’s death until inmate Brown was told that the failure to do so was a bar to being paroled,” Dow’s letter to Newsom said. “Even then, Inmate Brown’s account lacked credibility.” Δ
This article appears in Best of SLO County 2025.
Dow? The guy who doesn’t hold law enforcement accountable for perjuring themselves while under oath or beating citizens? The dan down that let’s the prosecutors and law enforcement ignore California’s 48hrs to probable cause hearing law that was affirmed twice by the supreme Court?
That Dan Dow?