Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is the parole board
of the state of Oklahoma
. The Board was created by an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution
in 1944. The Board has the authority to empower the Governor of Oklahoma
to grant pardon
s, parole
s, and commutation
s to people convicted of offenses against the state of Oklahoma
.
The Board meets each month at one of the State penal institutions.
, one by the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and one by the Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. They serve four year terms that run concurrent with the term of the Governor.
Any member of the board that is a licensed attorney
is prohibited from representing in any Oklahoma court any persons charged with felony offenses.
s, pardon
s and parole
s for all offenses against the State upon such conditions and with such restrictions and limitations as he may deem appropriate. However, the Governor can not exercise these powers unless he submits the name of the individual to the Board. The Board will then review the applicant for clemency. The Board is responsible for making an impartial investigation and study of applicants for clemency.
If a majority of the Board votes in favor of the clemency, the Governor is empowered to make such acts of clemency for the individual as he deems necessary. However, the Board has no authority to make recommendations regarding parole for convicts sentenced to death
or sentenced to life imprisonment
without parole. However, the Board may recommend commutations and pardons for such offenses. The Board's authority, however, can not limit the Governor's power to grant, after conviction, reprieves, or leaves of absence not to exceed sixty days without the consent of the Board.
Parole Board
A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
of the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The Board was created by an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution
Oklahoma Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th US State. At its ratification, the Oklahoma Constitution was the longest governing document of any...
in 1944. The Board has the authority to empower the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
to grant pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s, parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
s, and commutation
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
s to people convicted of offenses against the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
The Board meets each month at one of the State penal institutions.
Mission statement
The mission of the Pardon and Parole Board as a vital part of the criminal justice system is to determine the best possible decision, through a case-by-case investigative process and to protect the public while recommending the supervised released of adult felons. Although, in recent years the Board has been mandated to assist with alleviating prison overcrowding, it remains our goal to maintain a low revocation & recidivism rate for the State of Oklahoma.Composition
The Board is composed of five appointive members. Three are appointed by the Governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, one by the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and one by the Presiding Judge of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. They serve four year terms that run concurrent with the term of the Governor.
Any member of the board that is a licensed attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
is prohibited from representing in any Oklahoma court any persons charged with felony offenses.
Current membership
- Richard L. Dugger
- Lynnell Harkins
- James M. Brown, Sr. - Vice Chairperson
- Clinton Johnson
- Susan B. Loving - Chairperson
Powers and Responsibilities
The Constitution grants the Governor the power to grant commutationCommutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
s, pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s and parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
s for all offenses against the State upon such conditions and with such restrictions and limitations as he may deem appropriate. However, the Governor can not exercise these powers unless he submits the name of the individual to the Board. The Board will then review the applicant for clemency. The Board is responsible for making an impartial investigation and study of applicants for clemency.
If a majority of the Board votes in favor of the clemency, the Governor is empowered to make such acts of clemency for the individual as he deems necessary. However, the Board has no authority to make recommendations regarding parole for convicts sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
or sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
without parole. However, the Board may recommend commutations and pardons for such offenses. The Board's authority, however, can not limit the Governor's power to grant, after conviction, reprieves, or leaves of absence not to exceed sixty days without the consent of the Board.
See also
- Governor of OklahomaGovernor of OklahomaThe governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
- Parole boardParole BoardA parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
- Pardons in the United States