What You Need to Know

Michigan Constitution Art. 5, § 14, holds. the governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after convictions for all offenses, except cases of impeachment, upon such conditions and limitations as s/he may direct, subject to procedures and regulations prescribed by law. Pursuant to MCL 791.244, there is an extensive clemency review process; but that process can be expedited for medical reasons. All applications for pardons, reprieves and commutations shall be filed with the parole board upon forms provided therefore by the parole board, and shall contain such information, records and documents as the parole board may by rule require. MCL 791.243.

What are the most important factors parole boards consider for applicants applying for release on parole?

Factors tending to show an inmate’s suitability include:

(1) lack of a juvenile record
(2) stable social history
(3) signs of remorse
(4) motivation for the crime
(5) lack of criminal history
(6) age
(7) plans for the future
(8) institutional behavior
(9) lack of dangerousness to community if released.

What are the three most important factors parole authorities consider before granting release on parole?

The law says that the U.S. Parole Commission may grant parole if (a) the inmate has substantially observed the rules of the institution; (b) release would not depreciate the seriousness of the offense or promote disrespect for the law; and (c) release would not jeopardize the public welfare.

What is the difference between a pardon and a commutation.  Both result in a reduction of punishment, but there is a distinction between the two. The difference between pardon and commutation is that a pardon relieves an individual of all guilt for the crime committed, while a commutation reduces the sentence without exonerating the person.

Excecutive Clemency Process

Summary

A commutation is defined as the reduction of an individual’s sentence to a specified term such that the Michigan Parole  Board is given the jurisdiction and authority to determine an individual’s parole eligibility. A commutation does not nullify the underlying conviction(s). In contrast, a pardon erases a conviction from an individual’s record. The Michigan Supreme Court has held that the effect of a pardon by the Governor is such that it “releases the punishment and blots out of existence the guilt, so that in the eye of the law the offender is as innocent as if he had never committed the offense.” People v. Van Heck, 252 Mich.App. 207, 216; 651 N.W.2d 174, 179 (2002). A pardon is an extraordinary form of relief for someone convicted of a crime and is extremely rare.

As noted in the Constitution, the Governor’s clemency authority is “subject to procedures and regulations prescribed by law.” These procedures and regulations are contained in Sections 43 and 44 of the Corrections Code of 1953, 1953 PA 232, MCL 791.243 and 791.244.  All applications for pardons and commutations must be filed with the Michigan Parole Board (“Board”) using forms provided by the Board and must include the information, records, and documents required by the Board. Application forms may be obtained online from the Michigan Department of Corrections website.

Section 44 of the Corrections Code sets forth a detailed framework that must be followed by the Board in considering all applications for pardons and commutations, including those initiated by the Board itself. For example, within 60 days of initiating or receiving such an application, the Board must conduct an initial review to determine whether the application for a pardon or commutation has merit.

The Board has the exclusive statutory duty to transmit its formal recommendation to the Governor as to the merit of an application.

A clemency review may be initiated by an Application for Pardon or Commutation of Sentence submitted by a prisoner or by someone on his or her behalf, or by an Application for Pardon after Parole or Discharge submitted by an individual who has completed his or her sentence.  Any clemency reviews other than by application must be initiated by the Board.  If denied, an application may be resubmitted two years after the date on which the Board received the previously denied application.  Unless there has been a substantial change in circumstances, an application resubmitted before that time will be returned without action.  The Board’s decision to initiate a commutation review is within the Board’s discretion and may include, but not be limited to, circumstances in which a prisoner has a deteriorating and/or terminal medical condition from which he or she is not likely to recover.

Parole Board Process

All clemency applications are forwarded to the Parole Board for review. The Board will conduct an initial review to determine if it has interest in proceeding to a public hearing. If there is not majority interest in doing so, the application and any supporting documentation is simply forwarded to the Governor with the Board’s recommendation that the application should be denied. If there is an initial majority interest in considering a public hearing, it triggers a detailed statutory process.

Following the Board’s referral of a case to a public hearing, the Board must, by statute, follow certain notification and scheduling requirements. First, the Board must send out notices of the potential public hearing to the sentencing or successor judge and prosecutor, allowing 30 days for their comments and/or objections. At the expiration of that 30-day period, the Board will review any information received and decide whether to remove the case from the public hearing process or proceed to a public hearing. If there is still interest in proceeding to a public hearing, the Board must then provide a 30 day notice of the public hearing to the same judge and prosecutor, the Governor, the Attorney General, all registered victims, and the prisoner/petitioner. The Board will also publish notice of the public hearing on the MDOC website. The Board may receive and review information and comments submitted by crime victims. During that 30 day period, the Board will also commence a parole placement investigation on commutation cases, as well as provide the Attorney General with file materials for review in preparation for the public hearing.

At the public hearing, an Assistant Attorney General, the Board’s Chairperson, and any other members of the Board in attendance may question the prisoner or petitioner applicant on all relevant issues. Members of the public, as well as any victim(s) or victim(s)’ representative may testify in support of or opposition to the applicant’s clemency. The public hearing is recorded and a transcript of the proceeding is completed after the hearing, with a copy submitted to the Attorney General. The case is then referred back to the Board for a final executive meeting where the Board will vote on a recommendation to the Governor, taking into account all information received during the process and the public hearing. After reaching a majority vote, the Board’s recommendation and all relevant materials, including the public hearing transcript and other pertinent documents, are delivered to the Office of the Governor.

Final Disposition Process

The Governor and his or her legal staff will review the application materials and the recommendations of the Board to determine whether executive clemency is warranted. The Board will notify the applicant when a final determination is made.

Should the Governor grant a pardon request, the Governor’s Office will issue the appropriate pardon documents, file the pardon with the Secretary of State, and notify the Michigan State Police and the applicant. Should the Governor grant a commutation request, thus commuting the prisoner’s sentence to a term of years already served, the Board will assume jurisdiction over the case and vote on a parole. All action by the Board in a commutation case must be by majority vote of the 10-member Board. Should the Board by majority vote grant a parole on a commutation case, the parole term would be for a period of four years. Moreover, such a parole release will occur only after a required 28-day notice period, during which the Board will notify the sentencing or successor sentencing judge, prosecutor, and any registered victim(s). However, in the case of a terminally ill prisoner, the Board may seek the consent of the prosecutor, judge, and registered victim(s) to a waiver of both the 30-day notices (for comments/objections and notice of the public hearing) and this 28-day notice of parole release.

Sometimes we’re fractured by the choices we make; shattered by things we never would have chosen. But our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity.

-Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption

Access to police, prosecutor, and / or court file program

We understand that you cannot win in court without the necessary records or documents to prove your rights were violated.  Therefore, we offer our services to assist you in getting the records you need.

a). Police File Request – $250.00, plus processing fee.
b). Prosecutor File Request – $250, plus processing fee.
c). Court File Request – $250.00, plus processing fee.

Police departments, prosecutor offices, and courts charge a processing fee to search for, retrieve, review,
examine, and separate exempt material, if any, and then to download, and redact any private information (e, g. social security numbers, birthdates, names of minors, etc).  These fees sometimes range between $150.00 – $500.00.  The $250 request fee, and the processing are separate.  The $250 is payment to Access Plus Answers.  The police, prosecutor, or court processing fee is separate and must be paid by the client.  We will send you copies of all responses and keep you updated on any developments regarding your request.

If you have any questions or are seeking copies of your police, prosecutor or court files, please contact us below and state specifically what files you are seeking, and what efforts you have taken so far to obtain the requested documents. Help with funding may be requested from NCCAN on a case-by-case basis

Important Facts

Did you know that according to the IPNO (Innocence Project New Orleans) MISTAKEN IDENTITY is a leading factor in wrongful convictions, 56%

As of January 2020, the Innocence Project has documented over 375 DNA exonerations in the U.S.. Twenty one of these exonerees had previously been sentenced to death. The vast majority (97%) of these people were wrongfully convicted of committing sexual assault and/or murder.

Although these individuals were  innocent of these crimes, approximately 25% had confessed and 11% had pleaded guilty.

These exonerees spent an average of 14 years in prison-10% of whom spent 25 years or more in prison for crimes they didn’t commit..

The GIP, (Georgia Innocence Project) tells us that 1 in every 20 criminal cases is a wrongful conviction.

Could that be your friend or loved one?