Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board delays changing criticized procedure

No inmate will be considered for early parole or commutation, if ineligible for parole, until a new procedure is in place, officials said.

The criminal investigation is still under way, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater confirmed Tuesday.

At issue are times when the board voted on recommendations that an inmate be considered for possible early parole or sentence commutation.

The district attorney told the board in August it had violated the state's Open Meeting Act because no notice was given to the public or prosecutors in those instances. He called the board procedure “a clear attempt to operate in secrecy, outside of public scrutiny.”

The board in November discussed changing the procedure so that the names of recommended inmates would be listed on public meeting agendas.

On Tuesday, the board's chairman, Marc Dreyer, announced the board would not take up changing that procedure again until May or early summer. He told The Oklahoman that he wants to provide enough time for everyone who has thoughts about the procedure to provide input.

“Early consideration is not a right. It's a privilege,” he told The Oklahoman. “And I think there are a lot of questions that are being asked by people in various quarters.”