Most Frequently Asked Questions - Illinois Prison Review Board

[Dazzler]

Frequently Asked Questions of the Illinois Prison Review Board
 
What types of crimes qualify for Executive Clemency?
Is there a waiting period after the conviction?
How long does the process take?
What happens after the clemency hearing?
Is there anything the petitioner can do to speed up the process?
What is the difference between Public and Non-Public Hearings?
Do I have to appear?
How will I be notified?
What are the dates for hearings?
Is there a cost for a person to file a petition?    



What types of crimes qualify for Executive Clemency?
Any convictions in the State of Illinois
 
Is there a waiting period after the conviction?
There is no waiting period after conviction.
 
How long does the process take?
Once you have completed the petition and it is approved, you are put on the next available docket.
 
What happens after the clemency hearing?
The members of the Prisoner Review Board make confidential recommendations, mandated by law, to the Governor with the petition attached.
 
Is there anything the petitioner can do to speed up the process?
No.
 
What is the difference between Public and Non-Public Hearings?
Public Hearings: The Petitioner appears before the board members along with any person on his/her behalf, and states to the board why they are seeking a clemency. The board members make recommendations to the Governor.
Non-Public Hearings: The board members take the petition and read the petition at face value and make recommendations to the Governor.
 
 
Do I have to appear?
No it is not required that you appear, they do not hold that against you.
 
How will I be notified?
The petitioner will be notified by mail by the prisoner review board. Please notify prisoner review board of any change of address.
 
What are the dates for hearings?
Clemency hearings are held quarterly. Petitions must be in the office and completed 75 days before the first date of the hearings for that month.
 
Is there a cost for a person to file a petition?
There is no filing fees charged to the petitioner.
 

 
 
 
 
 

[Favored23]

IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON A WAIT TO HEAR ABOUT A CLEMENCY ALREADY FILED?  ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING EVERYONE THAT WAS DENIED LAST YEAR (2006) ALREADY KNOWS, IS THIS CORRECT?  WE FILED LAST YEAR AND HAVE NOT HEAR A WORD.  IT'S STILL PENDING. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS??????? :~)

[Dazzler]

I don't believe there's a time limit for an answer.  Most petitons are still sitting on the Governor's desk.   He has over 3,000 petitions pending, I think, and he doesn't seem to be granting any clemencies.  I hadn't heard that he took any actions last year...maybe I can find something else about this....

[Dazzler]

From the Prison Review Board:

The Board reviews, processes and submits confidential recommendations to the Governor on all executive clemency petitions that comply with the following steps:

First, a copy of the Board's clemency guidelines are forwarded to every person who submits a request, either by telephone, mail or e-mail, or by accessing the Board's website at www.state.il.us/prb under the Executive Clemency Link.

Once the Board's staff receives a petition, it is reviewed to ensure compliance with all of the filing guidelines. The petitioner is informed if the petition is complete and a docket number and letter will follow. It the petition is incomplete, a letter is sent informing the petitioner of what information is missing.

Incomplete petitions must be completed within 90 days or they are discarded. A late, but completed, petition is placed on the next available hearing docket. The petitioner is also afforded the opportunity to have a public or a non-public hearing. The Board's recommendations are typically forwarded to the Governor within 60 days following the hearing. The Governor is not under any deadline to respond to the petition. When a decision is made, the Board will notify the petitioner of the Governor's determination.
 
 
Executive clemency petitions filed with the Board for hearing and recommendation to the Governor have increased in recent years. The average size of the Board's quarterly clemency public docket hearing was 35 cases in 1990. In 1993, the average number of cases considered quarterly was 90. The average number in 2003 was approximately 400 cases per quarter. In 1994, the Board initiated more restrictive petitioning requirements mandating unsuccessful petitioners to wait for one year before filing a repeat petition, absent compelling new information.

Clemency requests may stay at a relatively high level, because inmates serving determinate sentences now have no opportunity for parole and must serve the sentence imposed by the courts, unless the Governor grants them release through his constitutional executive clemency powers.
 
 
 
 
 
 

[rsandelli]

When we filed and I last checked it all the clemency petitions had to be answered by the time the governor's term was about to expire. 

[Dazzler]

And in the case of his re-election, I suppose that time doesn't expire until the end of his term?

[Jims]

I believe he still hasn't ruled on Debra Gindorf's petition, and that's been sitting there for years.

[Jims]

According to Chicago Tribune columnist, Rick Zorn, as of July, 2006, some 2,600 petitions had been submitted to Gov. Blagojevich and he had "dispatched" 700 of them.

[Favored23]

HELLO EVERYONE:

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT CLEMENCY'S BEING SIGNED?  I READ THE LAST POST IN FEB. BUT I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAD ANY OTHER INFORMATION.  MINE IS STILL PENDING.  :~)

[Schrader42]

Hi Favor, how the heck have you been?  I wonder if these clemencies are actually read.  An appellate attorney told me that it's very, very difficult and the chances of granting a clemency are slim to none.  It's probably the reason why we didn't go that route but perhaps it's worth a try as a last resort.  Also, have family, friends, pastor, etc. send in letters of recommendation.  At least that's what I was told to do.

[Favored23]

HI Schrader42:

 :) Yes, we've done all the letter writting in the original portfolio that was sent.  I choose a private hearing and those take longer, but we are very hopeful that something is going to happen.  Everyone that was denied in 06 already received their denial papers, we have not been denied, so we are praying and believing GOD that he will sign our Clemency, In Jesus Name!! ..)

[Jaded_Heart]

I am hoping everybody that did file for an executive clemency with expungement. That gives you the right to file in court for a clean record. I write the governor of Illinois at least once a month, but my file is still not over there. It will be a year in Oct. I even went to Barack Obama and they told her in April it was at the Governor's Office. Come to find out it hasnt let the PRB!! 

I will be contacting another Senator and continue to pester someone until I get my petition signed!!

[Jaded_Heart]

wonders of all wonders.......my petition finally goes to the governor's office at the end of the month, now the real waiting begins, fortunatley I have an number for the legal team in the governor's office and I plan on burning up the phone line until I get a response as to my petition has been granted. I am desperate for a job and can't wait to go back to work!

[Dazzler]

Well good luck to you....we've got our collective fingers crossed for a perfect outcome....keep us posted...

[Jaded_Heart]

Without a doubt!!!! I will let everybody know what I did to hopefully get it done faster.

[Jaded_Heart]

Joshua D. Carter
Staff Attorney
Office of the State Appellate Defender
P.O. Box 5240
Springfield, IL  62705-5240
Joshua.Carter@OSAD.state.il.us

Awesome guy!! He has answered any question I have emailed him. I am trying to locate any other phone numbers, email addresses thast I can sharewith this forum as we all are trying to recieve the same petition.

If anybody has a question that I can answer about the clemency proccess, [lease dont hesitate to e-mail me  :-)

[Dazzler]

Thanks for the information...and Joshua might be a member here...we have about ten from the Appellate Defenders Office as members.  They are all great people.

[Jaded_Heart]

Called Legal Counsel at the Governor's Office and she told me that the Governor does NOT have to sign any petitions by the time his term ends. She told me the best option is to fax, e-mail and/or write the governor weekly. Web site  contact form: http://www.illinois.gov/helpdesk/contact.cfm
Write: Governor's office
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph St
16th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Fax: 312-814-6775

Hope this helps anybody.....OH, it is noted and reported to the Governor.

[Dazzler]

That's correct....as he left hundreds, maybe thousands sitting on his desk at the end of his first term of office...not knowing whether he'd be re-elected.  Unless he was planning on signing them at the last minute, if he wasn't re-elected.  It's easier to pass the buck...

Of course, some of this responsibility and delay falls on his legal counsels who advise him..

[Jaded_Heart]

Very True Dazzler. I did the crying routine in hopes that might motive her. I mean 1 felony and 26 years has passed with none other.........you would think they would want to help someone get their life back on track. It is not that I haven't done that, got an associates Degree, adopted my grandson, and many other milestones in my life, but that one mistake i made has haunted me like it seems forever.