Oklahoma Pardon And Parole Board Commutation Application printable pdf download

OKLAHOMA PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD

COMMUTATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

General Information on Commutation

A commutation is a change of a sentence to one that is less severe, such as from execution to life

imprisonment or the substitution of a lesser penalty from a greater penalty or punishment.

Commutation is not intended to serve as an early release mechanism for an offender in prison. A

commutation is intended to correct an unjust or excessive sentence.

A commutation is a rare, separate, and distinct process from a parole or a pardon. In Oklahoma, only

the Governor can approve the commutation of a sentence after a favorable recommendation of the

Pardon and Parole Board. The submission of an application does not imply or guarantee that the

Pardon and Parole Board will favorably recommend a commutation and/or that the Governor will

approve a commutation.

The Pardon and Parole Board utilizes a two-stage process for commutation review. The first stage is a

Qualification Review. During the Stage One - Qualification Review, the Pardon and Parole Board will

conduct a jacket review to determine if the application has merit and should be passed to Stage Two –

Commutation Hearing for further investigation and consideration for a sentence commutation. A jacket

review is a review of the application as well as any other materials, which may be submitted to the Board

for review.

If the application is passed to Stage Two, the offender will have a personal appearance with the Pardon

and Parole Board via video conferencing. If an offender receives a misconduct prior to the hearing, the

personal appearance is stricken, or cancelled, and the offender becomes ineligible for commutation at

the scheduled hearing.

For a Stage Two Commutation Hearing, an offender's family and/or friends, often referred to as

delegates, who may speak on his/her behalf. Family and friends are allowed to attend the Stage Two

Commutation Hearing; however, only two (2) persons can go before the Pardon and Parole Board and

only one (1) is allowed to speak for two minutes. Delegates may also submit letters in support of the

offender's application to the Pardon and Parole Board for review. The support letters must be submitted

with the application. Letters may be typed or handwritten on one-side only. Handwritten letters must be

legible. Please do not use staples. Letters must include the offender's name, DOC number, and docket

month and year on top of the each page and on the back of the envelope. The deadline to submit such

documentation is the Tuesday before the hearing date.

Victims and/or victim's representatives, the judicial representative from the court of conviction, a

Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board Commutation Application Revised March 2017

Oklahoma Pardon And Parole Board Commutation Application