Pat Nolan
Encyclopedia
Patrick J. Nolan is an American lawyer, politician and conservative activist.
activist at the age of 14 in the Goldwater for President campaign. Pat was a leader in the Youth for Reagan for Governor in 1966 and in each of Reagan's subsequent campaigns, working as a volunteer for Reagan at the 1968 (vs. Nixon), 1976 (vs. Ford)and 1980 and 1988. He joined Young Americans for Freedom after the Goldwater campaign and was active at the local state and national levels. He founded USC YAF and was elected to the National Board of Directors.
He practiced law at Kinkle, Rodiger and Spriggs in Los Angeles.
, serving the 41st district comprising Glendale, Burbank, Toluca Lake and Sunland-Tujunga. He was active in victim rights issues and was given the Victims' Advocate Award by Parents of Murdered Children. He also championed assistance for VietNam vets who had been exposed to Agent Orange. Nolan's legislation established a registry for AO victims and coordinated resources available to them. He was given the Outstanding Legislator Award from AmVets. He also sponsored legislation giving special license plates to Medal of Honor Recipients. At a moving ceremony on the West steps of the Capitol the plates were presented to such heroes as Jimmy Doolittle, Pappy Boyington, and Dick O'Kane. Nolan also sponsored California's very successful Enterprise Zones program that has brought thousands of jobs to inner city areas in the state.
In 1984, he was elected Assembly Republican Leader, and began an aggressive campaign to elect a Republican majority in the Assembly. That goal was achieved twelve years later when Curt Pringle was elected Speaker of the Assembly in 1996.
called Shrimpscam
to target elected officials who accepted illegal campaign contributions. After entering a guilty plea on one count of racketeering in the mid 1990s, Nolan resigned his seat and spent 25 months in a federal prison
and four months in a halfway house
. His experiences in prison changed his outlook and the course of his work.
After his release, he was recruited by Chuck Colson
's Prison Fellowship Ministries to be President of Justice Fellowship, the Prison Fellowship affiliate that works to reform the criminal justice system. During Pat's time at Prison Fellowship, they have formed broad bi-partisan coalitions with civil rights and religious organizations to support important issues in Congress. They successfully protected religious freedom for prisoners in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. A similar coalition successfully pressed for the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Nolan was later appointed to serve on the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, National Prison Rape Elimination Commission
, a bipartisan panel aimed at curbing prison rape
. Nolan also served on the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons, chaired by former Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach
.
Prison Fellowship was a major force in another left-right coalition that developed legistlation to focus prisons on preparing inmates to successfully return to their communities. Called the Second Chance Act, the bill had strong bi-partisan support and passed both houses overwhelmingly.
Nolan authored "When Prisoners Return" a guide for churches and community groups on ways they can help prisoners as they make the difficult transition from prison to their home community.
.
Early Political Activism
Nolan began his career as a conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
activist at the age of 14 in the Goldwater for President campaign. Pat was a leader in the Youth for Reagan for Governor in 1966 and in each of Reagan's subsequent campaigns, working as a volunteer for Reagan at the 1968 (vs. Nixon), 1976 (vs. Ford)and 1980 and 1988. He joined Young Americans for Freedom after the Goldwater campaign and was active at the local state and national levels. He founded USC YAF and was elected to the National Board of Directors.
Education and Law Practice
Nolan attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Ca. He went to USC, majoring in Political Science, and received his BA in 1972. He attended USC Law School and received his JD in 1975. He rode as USC's mascot, Tommy Trojan, in the 1974 Rose Parasde.He practiced law at Kinkle, Rodiger and Spriggs in Los Angeles.
Political career
In 1978, Nolan was elected to the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, serving the 41st district comprising Glendale, Burbank, Toluca Lake and Sunland-Tujunga. He was active in victim rights issues and was given the Victims' Advocate Award by Parents of Murdered Children. He also championed assistance for VietNam vets who had been exposed to Agent Orange. Nolan's legislation established a registry for AO victims and coordinated resources available to them. He was given the Outstanding Legislator Award from AmVets. He also sponsored legislation giving special license plates to Medal of Honor Recipients. At a moving ceremony on the West steps of the Capitol the plates were presented to such heroes as Jimmy Doolittle, Pappy Boyington, and Dick O'Kane. Nolan also sponsored California's very successful Enterprise Zones program that has brought thousands of jobs to inner city areas in the state.
In 1984, he was elected Assembly Republican Leader, and began an aggressive campaign to elect a Republican majority in the Assembly. That goal was achieved twelve years later when Curt Pringle was elected Speaker of the Assembly in 1996.
Incarceration and corrections work
Nolan was prosecuted as part of an FBI sting operationSting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
called Shrimpscam
BRISPEC sting operation
The Bribery and Special Interest sting operation was a sting operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigating corruption in the California State Legislature from 1986 to 1988...
to target elected officials who accepted illegal campaign contributions. After entering a guilty plea on one count of racketeering in the mid 1990s, Nolan resigned his seat and spent 25 months in a federal prison
Federal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
and four months in a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
. His experiences in prison changed his outlook and the course of his work.
After his release, he was recruited by Chuck Colson
Charles Colson
Charles Wendell "Chuck" Colson is a Christian leader, cultural commentator, and former Special Counsel for President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973....
's Prison Fellowship Ministries to be President of Justice Fellowship, the Prison Fellowship affiliate that works to reform the criminal justice system. During Pat's time at Prison Fellowship, they have formed broad bi-partisan coalitions with civil rights and religious organizations to support important issues in Congress. They successfully protected religious freedom for prisoners in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. A similar coalition successfully pressed for the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Nolan was later appointed to serve on the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, National Prison Rape Elimination Commission
National Prison Rape Elimination Commission
The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission was a U.S. bipartisan panel established by the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act. The commission was charged with studying sexual assaults in U.S. jails and prisons and presenting a report based on its findings. The report was released in June 2009...
, a bipartisan panel aimed at curbing prison rape
Prison rape
Prison rape commonly refers to the rape of inmates in prison by other inmates or prison staff.In 2001, Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 140,000 inmates had been raped while incarcerated. and there is a significant variation in the rates of prison rape by race...
. Nolan also served on the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons, chaired by former Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach
Nicholas Katzenbach
Nicholas deBelleville Katzenbach is an American lawyer who served as United States Attorney General during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.-Early life:...
.
Prison Fellowship was a major force in another left-right coalition that developed legistlation to focus prisons on preparing inmates to successfully return to their communities. Called the Second Chance Act, the bill had strong bi-partisan support and passed both houses overwhelmingly.
Nolan authored "When Prisoners Return" a guide for churches and community groups on ways they can help prisoners as they make the difficult transition from prison to their home community.
Personal life
Nolan's family includes his wife, Gail, and three children, Courtney, Katie and Jamie. They live in Leesburg, VirginiaLeesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
.