says she’s got a new plan
Governor Kate Brown has been granted numerous authoritative powers by the Oregon state constitution.
One of those powers is the right to grant commutations of prison sentences. Brown decided to hand that decision-making process off to the state parole board.
This issue wound up in court after a group, Common Sense for Oregon, sued the governor for the attempted expansion of the parole board’s power.
If Brown’s effort had been allowed to pass, there would have been numerous juvenile convicts in front of those decision makers seeking early release.
Citing roughly 250 cases that would have been in front of the board, the group’s president Kevin Mannix said:
“They would have to be going through the discussion of what happened to them, the impact of this crime on them. And they are now going to be relieved of that.”