By C1 Staff
ATLANTA – House Bill 71, which would require greater transparency from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, received final passage Thursday in the state House.
Now the bill goes to Gov. Nathan Deal for consideration, according to AJC. Though the bill was weakened in the Senate, it still provides first-of-its-kind changes.
The bill was created after it was learned that the board’s decision-making and deliberations are done in secret and that the agency often grants offenders’ freedom without notifying victims.
The bill requires the board notify a victim whenever an offender has petitioned for a pardon or parole. Prosecutors would only be notified for the most egregious crimes.
The Senate stripped provisions that would require board members to publicly reveal how they voted. Instead, the board will only have to issue a statement explaining its decision.