Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 49, December 7, 2024
Section 81.301 - Recommendation(a) An application for pardon, or for remission of fines and forfeitures, and the granting of reprieves, or commutation of sentence, shall be approved by the Board at a public hearing by a majority vote of the members, prior to delivery of the written recommendation to the Governor for a decision. An application for a pardon or commutation of a death or life imprisonment sentence must be approved at a public hearing by a unanimous vote of the members, prior to delivery of the written recommendation to the Governor for a decision.(b) When the applicant is serving a sentence described in § 81.232 (relating to interview of the applicant), a recommendation and Warrant of Commutation that is presented to the Governor shall include a requirement that the applicant serve at least 1 year in a prerelease center prior to release on parole unless transfer of the applicant to a prerelease center is not appropriate due to a certified terminal illness.(c) Recommendations made to the Governor for commutation of sentence will be conditioned in subsection (e).(d) Recommendations for a pardon may be made conditional by a majority vote by the Board.(e) If it is the Board's desire that the commutation or pardon be conditional, any recommended Warrant of Commutation or Charter of Pardon presented to the Governor shall include the following language: "Subsequent to this date, if it is determined, upon public hearing by the Board of Pardons, that (name) has committed a probation or parole violation or has been convicted of a new criminal offense, this grant of clemency may be rendered null and void by myself or by my successors in office."
(f) When notified of a subsequent criminal offense conviction, or probation or parole violation, the Secretary will inform the Board. The Board will then decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to hold a public hearing regarding the suspected violation of the conditional pardon or commutation. After public hearing, a majority of the Board may recommend to the Governor that clemency be revoked.The provisions of this § 81.301 adopted April 18, 1997, effective 4/19/1997, 27 Pa.B. 1929; amended May 29, 1998, effective 5/30/1998, 28 Pa.B. 2500.