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A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that would limit clemency applications for people sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Under current law, people convicted of violent crimes without the possibility of parole can apply to have their sentences commuted each year.
For the winner, Republican Sen. Erin Tobin, that period is too short.
“This bill would extend that deadline to four years,” Tobin said, adding, “It’s important to note that these laws vary from state to state.” Some states only allow inmates to appear before the parole board every six years, every two years, or every three years. It is harmful to the victims of very specific people who have committed violent crimes and who have been sentenced to life in prison without parole. ”
That includes victims like Karol Kniffen, whose brother was murdered by Joseph Fields in their family home in 1984. Kniffen, a witness to the crime, recounted the details of the incident in the manner one would expect at a commutation hearing.
“So you can only imagine how we felt. The feeling of being in the same room with him was very emotional for all of us,” Kniffen said. A board that tells our story. We do this because we love our brother, and we miss him every day. We came here today not only for ourselves, but for all families like ours. ”
However, some people had questions about the bill. Rep. Kaydin Whitman, D-Sioux Falls, proposed an amendment that would build on that proposal and give the parole board more latitude.
“They have already made internal policy changes in response to feedback from victims’ families after a particularly harrowing commutation hearing last fall, and I was physically present,” Whitman said. Stated. These victims do not have to resolve these painful memories every 12 months. ”
The amendment, which would have replaced the four-year gap with a one-year to four-year decline period, was defeated by a narrow margin. The bill is now before the House as is.
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