By Paul DeMarco
There may be three branches of government in Alabama, but the Governor has the most powerful role of the three branches in the state of Alabama. The executive branch in our state controls a lot of purse strings when it comes to managing the state’s expenses. In addition, the Governor has the sole power of appointment for a wide range of positions from judges to sheriffs to hundreds of other important positions.
And some appointments are more important than others, which includes an upcoming selection to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. There is currently a vacant position on the board that Governor Kay Ivey will have to fill.
The board is made up of only three members who decide on whether to grant parole to Alabama prison inmates. It took reforms by state leaders in 2019 to clean up a board that was often releasing violent felons early. Public safety was not a priority and the murder of three people in Marshall County by a felon who should not have been paroled led to changes to the law and the board that we have now.
The current board under the leadership of Leigh Gwathney has brought professionalism to the way the parole hearings have been handled and ensured that justice has been carried out according to state law and with due respect to the wishes of the victims. Most importantly, safety of Alabama citizens is now paramount.
However, that can change quickly with the makeup of the board. And progressives in the state are pushing to weaken the board to again open the doors of state prisons by appointing a member who will do just that like the previous board. The left wants the prison doors opened at the expense of jeopardizing public safety and have gone on a crusade to put in a new board member that will get the state back to where it was before the reforms passed by the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate.
Those critical that the current board has not released more inmates do not care about crime victims or public safety since 80 percent of Alabama prisons are populated by those that have committed violent crimes. They parrot the same talking points that you hear nationally from liberal advocates, which have led to spikes in murder and other violence around our country. Thank goodness Gwathney chairs the Alabama Parole board, as she understands the importance to Alabama citizens that violent offenders be held accountable for their crimes.
Governor Ivey helped lead the charge in 2019 to fix the problems with the prior parole board and now she can ensure the board continues to put the citizens of Alabama first.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X (previously Twitter) at @Paul_DeMarco