Why I Oppose This Nomination
April 27, 2023Today I voted against reappointing Carlton Giles to the Board of Pardons and Paroles. As chair of the board, Carlton Giles initiated a controversial new commutation policy in 2021 after decades of granting almost no sentence reductions.
From 2016 to 2019, the Board of Pardons and Paroles only reduced five sentences. But over the past year and a half, it's granted 71 commutations. Those included 44 commutations for convicted murderers, who had an average of 15 years shaved off their sentences. While Governor Lamont has removed Mr. Giles as Chair of the board, I do not have the confidence in him to hold a regular seat on the board. As your State Representative, I am focused on giving victims and their families a voice.
Under state law, the board's policies are not required to be submitted for review by the General Assembly. This needs to change. The board must stop commutations until the General Assembly can act on a policy that respects victims and their families.