State board releases list of new parolees

More than a half-dozen inmates granted release under the state's new administrative parole process were convicted of crimes including sexual solicitation of a minor, indecent exposure and failing to register as a sex offender. Earlier this week, the fivemember state Pardon and Parole Board granted parole to 63 out of 74 inmates considered for administrative parole, with six stricken because of ineligibility or misconduct, and five having been discharged. Administrative parole, which went into effect Nov. 1, is designed to streamline the parole process for nonviolent offenders who have served at least one-fourth of their current sentence and follow other eligibility standards. Inmates are not eligible if they are serving life without parole. The streamlined process doesn't mean the inmates are released immediately, but it eliminates a pre-review investigation and appearance before the parole board, which are part of the typical parole process. Four inmates granted parole had failed to register as sex offenders. Another, convicted of indecent exposure, had pleaded guilty to living within 2,000 feet of a school. Two other inmates granted parole were serving time for indecent exposure. Another was in prison for soliciting sexual conduct with a minor. Other inmates granted parole committed crimes including drug possession and distribution, larceny, burglary and fourth-degree arson. The list of inmates granted or denied administrative parole is posted on the Pardon and Parole Board's website, www.ok.gov/ppb under "Dockets and Results." With a backlog of more than 1,000 parole requests for review by the board, Gov. Kevin Stitt has pushed for expedited paroles. Stitt recently appointed three new members to the Pardon and Parole Board. A House of Representatives analysis estimated administrative parole to save around 3,750 prison beds, and roughly $16.7 million per year once fully implemented. The state Department of Corrections identifies which inmates have met the eligibility criteria. The department forwards a list of eligible inmates to the Pardon and Parole Board. Matt Elliott, spokesman for the Department of Corrections, told The Oklahoman that the list doesn't mean the department is recommending inmates for parole. “Our role is to see who fits with the statute and report that to the Pardon and Parole Board,” Elliott said. “The only thing we can do is follow the law.”