STATE
CAPITOL
NEWS.
% EARLIER THIS
WEEK, GOVERNOR% EVERS ISSUED THE
FIRST
PARDONS
% OF HIS
TIME
IN
OFFICE AND
THE
% FIRST
IN WISCONSIN
IN
NINE
% YEARS,
SINCE
FORMER
GOVERNOR% SCOTT
WALKER
DISBANDED THE
BOARD
% AND
REFUSED TO
ISSUE
ANY AT
ALL.
% JOINING US
NOW
IS
NOBLE
WRAY, A
% MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
% THANKS
FOR
YOUR
TIME
TODAY.
% >> THANK
YOU.
% >>
FIRST
OFF,
LET'S
EXPLAIN
WHAT% A
PARDON
IS
AND
IS
NOT.
% IT
DOESN'T ERASE
THE
EXISTENCE
% OF A
CRIME,
CORRECT?
% >> NO,
IT
DOES
NOT.
% IT COMES
FROM
THE
WORD
CLEMENCY
% IS.
% IT
IS A
GOVERNOR
GIVING
SOMEONE
% RELIEF
OF
THEIR
SENTENCE.
% SO THAT
IS
ERASED.
% IT IS
SOMETHING
THAT
PEOPLE
% EXPLORE TO
GET
ERASED.
% IT
IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.% IT
IS
SOMETHING THAT
PEOPLE
WORK
% FOR.%>>
NOW,
THE
PARDON
ADVISORY
% BOARD
RECEIVED MORE THAN
200
% REQUESTS OFF THE
TOP
OF GOVERNOR
% EVERS
BEING
ELECTED.
% WHAT
WERE YOU
LOOKING
AT
IN
% GOING
THROUGH THOSE
% APPLICATIONS?%>> WE'RE
LOOKING
AT A
NUMBER O
F
% THINGS.%GOVERNOR
EVERS
HAS
LAID
OUT A
% VERY
BALANCED
APPROACH AND THAT
% IS
LOOKING
AT
THE
PERSON'S CRIME
% THAT THEY
COMMITTED,
THE
% SERIOUSNESS,
LOOKING
AT
% OBVIOUSLY
THEY'VE
COMPLETED
IT
% IN A PERIOD
OF
TIME
THAT
HAS
% GONE
BY,
ROUGHLY
FIVE
OR
MORE
% YEARS THAT
WE'RE
LOOKING
AT.
% ALONG WITH
THAT,
WHAT THEY
HAVE
% DONE IN
THAT
PERIOD
OF
TIME,
YOU
% KNOW,
ARE
THEY
CONNECTED
BACK
IN
% SOCIETY?
% ARE
THEY
GOING
TO
SCHOOL?
% WHAT
ARE
THEY
CONTRIBUTING?
% HOW
ARE
THINGS
GOING
IN
THEIR
% LIVES
IN
G
ENERAL,
WHICH
IS
% REALLY
IMPORTANT.
% WE
ALSO
LOOK
AT
SOMETHING
THAT'S
% ALSO IMPORTANT
AND
KEY
HERE,
IS
% WE
CAN'T FORGET
THE
VICTIM THAT
% WAS
INVOLVED IN
SOME
OF
THESE
% CRIMES
THAT HAVE BEEN
COMMITTED.
% SO
ALL
OF
THOSE
THINGS
ARE
% CONSIDERED WHEN
THE
ADVISORY
% BOARD
IS
MEETING
AND
% DELIBERATING
WHAT
% RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE
GOING
TO% PROVIDE
TO
THE
GOVERNOR.% >>
IN A
STATEMENT,
THE GOVERNOR
% USED THE TERM
"FORGIVENESS."
% DOES THAT
MEAN
THAT
THOSE
WHO
% DON'T
RECEIVE A
PARDON
ARE NOT
% FORGIVEN?
% >>
IT'S
REALLY
IMPORTANT.
% IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN I'M
% PERSONALLY GLAD
THAT
THE
% GOVERNOR
SOUGHT
THIS
OUT,
TO
% REINSTITUTE THE
PARDON
BOARD.
% THIS
IDEA
OF
REDEMPTION,
THAT
% SOMEONE
GETS A
SECOND
CHANCE.
% IT'S
VERY
IMPORTANT.
% I
THINK
IT
CREATES AN
% ENVIRONMENT
WHERE
PEOPLE
THAT
% HAVE
HAD A
--
MADE A
MISTAKE
IN
% THEIR
LIFE,
THAT
THEY
KNOW
THAT
% IF THEY
GET
BACK,
THEY
GET
% CONNECTED, THEY
DO
A
PERIOD
OF
% TIME WHERE
THEY'RE
NOT
% CRIMINALLY
INVOLVED,
THEY'RE
% PROVIDING
FOR
THEIR
FAMILY
AND
% FRIENDS
AND
REALLY
ENGAGING
BACK
% INTO
SOCIETY, THAT
THEY
GET A
% SECOND
CHANCE.
% AND
THAT'S
REALLY
IMPORTANT,
AND
% IT'S IMPORTANT TO
THE
PEOPLE
% THAT
APPLY.% >>
NOW,
GOVERNORS
USUALLY
ISSUE
% MOST
OF
THEIR
PARDONS
NEAR
THE
% END
OF
THEIR
TIME
IN
OFFICE.
% IS
THERE A POLITICAL
DANGER O
R
% RISK IN
PARDONING SOMEONE
% BECAUSE
IF
THEY
REOFFEND
THEN
% THAT
IMPLIES SOMETHING ABOUT
THE
% GOVERNOR OR
THE
CHOICE IN THE% FIRST PLACE?
% >> THERE'S
ALWAYS A
POSSIBILITY
% THAT SOMETHING
LIKE
THAT
COULD
% HAPPEN.
% BUT I
THINK
THAT GOVERNOR
EVERS
% HAS
REALLY
LAID
OUT
SOME
NICE
% STEPS
I
N
THERE,
SOME
NICE
% CONSIDERATIONS.
% AND THAT
IS,
AGAIN,
THAT
PERIOD
% OF
TIME,
HOW
CONNECTED
ARE
THEY,% WHAT ARE
THEY
DOING
WITH
THEIR
% LIVES?
% ARE THEY
GOING
TO
SCHOOL?
% ARE THEY
GOING
T
O
WORK?
% ALL
OF
THOSE
THINGS
ARE
CERTAIN
% INDICATIONS THAT
THIS
PERSON
HAS
% ADJUSTED
BACK
PROPERLY INTO
% SOCIETY.%>>
ONE OF
THE
BIGGER
QUESTIONS
% THAT CAME
UP
IN GOVERNOR
EVERS'
% ELECTION
WAS
ABOUT
DRUG
CRIMES
% OR
THINGS
THAT
WE
WOULD
LOOK
AT
% DIFFERENTLY TODAY
THAN
WE
DID
% WHEN
SOMEONE
WAS
SENTENCED.% IS
THAT
SOMETHING YOU'RE
TAKING
% UNDER
ADVISEMENT?% >> ALL
OF
THOSE
THINGS
ARE
TAKEN
% UNDER
ADVISEMENT,
THE
EVOLUTION
% OF WHAT
HAPPENS WITH
LAWS
AND
% CHANGES WITH
LAWS
HAVE
REALLY
% CHANGED.
% AT
THE
FEDERAL
LEVEL IN
TERMS
OF
% HOW THEY
LOOK
AT CRACK
COCAINE
% AND
COCAINE
BASE,
THAT
HAS
% CHANGED.
% OBVIOUSLY
WHERE WE
WERE
10
TO
15
% YEARSING
AGO
IN
THIS
COUNTRY
% WITH
MARIJUANA, YOU
SEE
THAT
% EVOLUTION
THAT HAS
CHANGED.
% SO
I
THINK
IT'S
IMPORTANT AND
% THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE
TRYING
TO
DO,
% IS TO
BE RESPONSIVE
TO
THE
% TIMES, AS
WELL
AS,
YOU
KNOW,
WE% MAY
HAVE
OVERSHOT
WHAT
WE
DID
% WITH
THAT
WHOLE
DRUG
WAR.
% THIS
IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO
TAKE A
% SECOND LOOK AT
THAT.% >>
SOME
OF
OUR
VIEWERS
MAY
% REMEMBER THAT YOU
WERE
THE
CHIEF
% OF POLICE
FOR
THE
MADISON POLICE
% DEPARTMENT.%HOW
DOES
YOUR LAW
ENFORCEMENT
% BACKGROUND COME INTO YOUR
% CHOICES
ON
THIS
ADVISORY
BOARD?
% >> I
THINK
IT ADDS TO
THE
% RICHNESS
OF
OUR
DELIBERATION.
% THERE'S A NICE
MIX, A DIVERSE
% MIX OF
PEOPLE THAT
ARE ON
THE
% BOARD
THAT
BRING
DIFFERENT
% INSIGHTS,
EVERYTHING
FROM,
YOU
% KNOW,
JUDGES
TO, YOU
KNOW,
% PEOPLE
OF
FAITH
TALKING
ABOUT
% RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE, TALKING
% ABOUT THE
ISSUES OF
VICTIMS IN
% THIS
WHOLE
THING, THE
BALANCE
OF
% ENSURING THAT
WE'RE
MAKING
SURE
% THAT
THE
PEOPLE
THAT
ARE
GIVEN
% PARDONS,
THAT,
YOU
KNOW, YOU
% KNOW,
SAFETY
AND
PUBLIC
SAFETY
% IS AN ISSUE.
% SO IT
IS A
VERY
NICE
MIX.% >>