Establishes a commission to promulgate rules, regulations and make recommendations to the governor as to petitions for pardons under Article IX, Section 13 of the Constitution of Rhode Island.
Summary
H5379 would create a new nine-member Commission on Pardons within Rhode Island’s criminal justice framework. The commission would administer the pardon application process, review applicants, and make recommendations to the governor for executive pardons under Article IX, Section 13 of the Rhode Island Constitution. The bill limits consideration to people who have completed their sentence and are not eligible for expungement, people who sought expungement and were denied, or people on probation who may qualify for early termination under Rule 35(c).
The commission would also be tasked with adopting rules and regulations for the application process, including required documents, timelines for responses, and eligibility criteria for recommendation. Its recommendations would go to the governor, who would retain authority to submit recommended names, or others, to the state senate for advice and consent. The commission would be composed of appointees from the judicial branch, attorney general’s office, public defender’s office, parole/probation, and several community-based reentry and advocacy organizations.
Impact
The bill would add a new chapter to Title 13 of the General Laws governing correctional institutions and pardons, creating a formal administrative body to structure and screen pardon requests. It would not itself grant pardons, but it would change the process by establishing a gatekeeping commission and a standardized application and review system for executive clemency petitions. The measure would affect people seeking pardons, the governor’s pardon-related workflow, and the participating state agencies and community organizations named in the commission’s membership.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the apparent sentiment is procedural and reform-oriented rather than overtly controversial. The bill’s sponsors appear to support a more organized, transparent, and multi-stakeholder pardon process that includes criminal justice and reentry perspectives. Because there is no transcript or voting history provided, there is no documented opposition or support to gauge beyond the bill’s structure and purpose.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the scope of the commission’s role and the balance of power between the commission, the governor, and the Senate in the pardon process. Some may question whether adding a commission creates an additional layer of bureaucracy or whether it appropriately improves fairness and consistency in clemency decisions. Others may focus on the membership design, especially the inclusion of advocacy and reentry organizations alongside state justice officials, and whether the eligibility limits are too narrow or too broad for pardon consideration.
Establishes a commission to promulgate rules, regulations and make recommendations to the governor as to petitions for pardons under Article IX, Section 13 of the Constitution of Rhode Island.