|
|
| Oklahoma Parole Board OKs Inmate Case Reviews |
| By The Oklahoman |
| Published: 12/23/2002 |
|
The state Pardon and Parole Board voted to act on Gov. Frank Keating's request to examine nearly 1,100 inmate cases for early release, but it could be several weeks before any action can be taken. In November, Keating sent a letter to the Parole Board to consider commuting the sentences of 1,072 nonviolent offenders. The board unanimously agreed to examine the cases Keating forwarded, but cautioned that it could take time to review them. Terry Jenks, the board's executive director, said about 300 cases submitted by Keating have been reviewed by the board, or will be reviewed during this week's meeting or next month's meeting. Officials are unsure how many of those cases were recommended for parole or commutation, or how many are awaiting approval from the governor. Another 300 cases can be reviewed in January's meeting, Jenks said. The remaining cases will have to be examined later. The board only will consider cases in which the inmate was convicted of a nonviolent crime. The cases also have to be for inmates who are six to 12 months away from being released. And the inmates have to be free of any serious misconduct citations -- such as violence or drug use in prison -- for them to be considered. The commutation docket will be considered along with the other 1,000 or so parole cases the board hears each month, Chappelle said. Those approved from the first batch of commutations could be released as early as the first week of January, she said. One concern among board members was that of inmates serving drunken driving sentences. Some board members might not be willing to commute their sentences because commutation would prevent the state from monitoring them, Chappelle said. Those convicted of drunk driving often leave prison on parole and are monitored by car ignition devices that can detect alcohol on parolees' breath. If alcohol is detected, the device prevents the car from starting. Commutation wouldn't allow for this type of monitoring. Keating asked the board to consider a special commutation docket as a way to shrink the prison population and save money at the Corrections Department. The state's prison population is at an all- time high, which has pushed corrections costs higher. The department is facing budget shortfalls because of falling state tax revenues and rising costs. Temporary funding measures have postponed unpaid employee furloughs, but if the department's budget situation doesn't improve, furloughs could be enacted in the spring. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
It would be nice to see how this story has changed over the years. I enjoyed reading more about our prison system on this website. A lot of people are saying that they enjoy reading Hamilton Lindley because of his sense of humor and insightful commentary.