Keep the Governor in the Parole Process
By Steve Byas
Like Jason in all those horror movies, this is an idea that just won't die -- the liberals keep introducing bills in the legislature to remove the governor from the parole process.The idea to remove the governor from signing or rejecting paroles sent to him by the Pardon and Parole Board seems to spring from the desire to save money, or get "politics" out of the process.
A quick historical review. Executives like governors, kings and presidents have long wielded the power to grant pardons, paroles, and commutations as part of a system of checks and balances. I know that many, perhaps a majority of our state legislature, have never read either th U.S. or Oklahoma State Constitution, but perhaps they did catch that in civics class.
The problem that developed in Oklahoma was that a couple of our governors did not believe in the death penalty and abused their power and commuted death sentences to life in prison. So, the Pardon and Parole Board was created, and now a governor can't simply issue pardons and paroles without a favorable recommendation from the Pardon and Parole Board.
We need the Pardon and Parole Board to check a governor who would abuse the power to issue pardons, paroles, and commutations, but we also need a governor to stand as a check to a liberal Pardon and Parole Board that would release dangerous criminals on the public as a way to "save money," and the like. We need both the Board and the governor to stand as a check on the judicial branch of government that may have unfairly convicted a person.
Just because many governors would like to give up the power, so they can't be held accountable by the voters, doesn't mean we should take the governor out of the process. Sure, some governors can see their decisions come back to bite them, like Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. (Now, as an aside, Governor Huckabee was not and is not my first choice for president, but I think he has been unfairly attacked in this case. He exercised his powers in Arkansas on an inmate who had committed fairly minor crimes, but after his release committed very serious crimes. The only way to prevent that is to not grant any pardons, paroles, and commutations, and just give everyone a life sentence). But I digress.
I understand that our legislators face a deep budget crisis. But the number one priority of government is public safety. Decisions about who should leave the prisons should be based upon their threat to the general public, not on saving a buck here and there. Legislators who vote to take the governor out of the process of pardons, paroles, and commutations just to save money need to look elsewhere -- maybe they could vote to repeal the law that requires that 5% of public construction budgets go to fund artwork.
The next time someone let out on parole early (to "save money") attacks you or a member of your family, just be thankful we have some pretty pictures in all new public construction.
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