Nevada parole board bill gets unanimous OK in first vote

Senate Joint Resolution 1 would amend the state constitution and replace the State Board of Pardons Commissioners with a Clemency Board. That would change the board’s membership and require it to meet more often, with an eye toward granting more pardons to eligible offenders. The measure next goes to the Senate.

The legislation is sponsored by State Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblyman James Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas. The measure passed unanimously.

Committee chairman Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, said the measure would help streamline the process for offenders who are ready and would help reduce the inmate population.

Under the constitution, the pardons board consists of the governor, the seven Nevada Supreme Court justices and the attorney general. SJR1 would change the state constitution so the governor, supreme court chief justice and attorney general would each appoint three members to the nine-person panel.

Supporters say that with a different membership, the board could meet more frequently because the officials currently on the board have busy schedules. SRJ1 would require the Clemency Board to meet at least four times a year; the pardons board meets about twice a year.

Because the proposal entails amending the state’s constitution, any potential changes are several years away. SJR1 would need to pass the Legislature this session, and again in the 2019 session. It would then go to voters for final approval in 2020. A similar measure passed in 2009 but died in the 2011 session.

The measure has wide support, including from the ACLU of Nevada and the Clark County Public Defender’s office.

Besides pardons, the board also can commute sentences and hear cases from convicts in other circumstances, such as those trying to expunge their record.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.