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 OF
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 GENERAL, 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 OR
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 IN 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 TO 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.
>>