"Per a new report by South Dakota Searchlight, it was during Noem's run as governor that she granted an early release to 19 prison inmates in the state-12 of whom have since been re-charged with new crimes, including charges of domestic violence and driving under the influence. Eight of these individuals have been charged with felonies."
"Noem, however, was unusual in her approach to grant these 19 commutations-and for the first time in 20 years, issued them clemency without any insight from the board. Most of the decisions came around December in 2022 and 2023, with seven being issued the first year and 12 being issued the year after. Noem has yet to comment on this matter, or explain how exactly their names appeared on her desk."
"As governor, Noem issued 27 commutations (reduced sentences) overall. In some cases, these were standard procedure: in the Mount Rushmore State, the governor possesses the exclusive authority to issue commutations and pardons, and the process of getting a commutation begins by submitting an application to the Board of Pardons and Paroles-of which nine members are a part. If a commutation-seeker is successful in getting the majority of the board to recommend them forward, their name goes to the governor's desk for final approval."
"But Noem's history in public service is mired in a humiliating inability to do the public any service-and comes as yet another reminder of how MAGA is guided by nothing by hypocrisy. In Noem's post as DHS secretary, from which she was fired in March, she not only led an agency that wrongly detained pregnant and postpartum women, babies, and U.S. citizens-but made a habit of fabricating stories about them."
Kristi Noem served as governor of South Dakota for six years and later as Secretary of Homeland Security. During her governorship, she granted early release to 19 prison inmates, with 12 later recharged with new crimes including domestic violence and driving under the influence, and eight facing felony charges. She issued 27 commutations overall. South Dakota law gives the governor exclusive authority to issue commutations and pardons, with applications reviewed by a Board of Pardons and Paroles and recommendations typically forwarded to the governor for final approval. Noem issued these 19 commutations without any insight from the board for the first time in 20 years. She has not commented or explained how the names reached her desk.
#criminal-justice #pardons-and-commutations #south-dakota-politics #homeland-security #detention-and-due-process
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