The following information was gleaned from the website of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles and its 2012 Annual Report (the most recent available online):
Mission Statement: To serve the citizens of Georgia as an integral component of the Criminal Justice System by making informed release considerations and protecting the public through effective offender supervision.
In the early 1940s there were serious questions raised about the handling of pardons by some Governors’ offices. Public concern led the General Assembly to enact legislation, signed into law in February 1943, which created the State Board of Pardons and Paroles as an independent agency to administer executive clemency.
In August 1943 Georgia voters ratified, by a ratio of four and a half to one, a landmark amendment to the State Constitution. It established in that document the Parole Board’s authority to grant paroles, pardons, and reprieves, to commute sentences, including death sentences, to remit sentences, and to remove disabilities imposed by law. It was given a staff of parole officers to investigate cases and supervise persons granted parole.
The Constitution provided that the Governor would appoint the Board members to seven-year terms subject to confirmation by the State Senate. Once confirmed, members would be insulated from political pressures by the fact that no one official could remove them from office until they completed their terms. Their autonomy was enhanced by their right to elect their own chairman annually.
Restoration of Rights - an order restoring a person’s civil and political rights which are lost in Georgia upon conviction. These include the right to run for and hold public office, to serve on a jury and to serve as a Notary Public. Restoration of rights does not include the right to possess, own or to carry a concealed firearm. The right to vote is automatically restored upon completion of your sentence(s); therefore you need not submit an application in order to restore your right to vote.
What is the difference between a restoration of rights and a pardon? Restoration of civil and political rights, if granted, will fully restore citizenship. It removes all civil disabilities and disqualifications imposed as a result of a conviction. These rights include the right to run for and hold public office, to serve on a jury, and to serve as a Notary Public. A pardon is an act of official forgiveness and is granted only in exceptional cases. It may serve as a means for the petitioner to advance in employment or education. A pardon does not expunge (remove) an offense from your record.
On March 1, 2012, the Parole Board implemented a new process for applying for Pardons and Restoration of Rights. Along with the new application, each applicant is now required to submit their criminal history, certified sentence sheets for dispositions not noted on their criminal history and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. All restoration of firearms applications will require a personal interview and photo identification.
About the Author
Featured
