UPAN Families Can Help Gather Information
The Legislative Audit Subcommittee has been assigned the task of performing an audit of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. We have no idea when the Board was last audited, or if it ever has been. But we are pleased this is occurring now! The audit process began in July and will take a few months to complete. The audit committee has been collecting data and conducted in person interviews with a variety of individuals / organizations, including some incarcerated individuals. We recommend that we all need to be patient as they gather data, so the auditors can take the time to learn about and explore all the aspects of how the Board operates.
The Audit Subcommittee of the Legislative Management Committee provides a way for legislators to get in-depth answers to questions they have about the efficiency and effectiveness of state agencies and the use of taxpayer money, by allowing legislators to request performance audits. The four-member, bipartisan subcommittee consists of:
- President of the Senate Wayne Niederhauser (R, District 9 Salt Lake County)
- Speaker of the House Gregory Hughes (R, District 51 Salt Lake County)
- Minority Leader Senator Gene Davis (D, District 3 Salt Lake County)
- Minority Leader Rep. Brian King (D, District 28, Salt Lake County)
Please note that these legislators are NOT the actual auditing staff. There are three legislative employees that comprise the auditing staff.
More information on legislative sub-committees can be found at le.utah.gov.
UPAN Executive Director Molly Prince has been in contact with the auditors periodically since meeting with them in July. UPAN has shared a variety of concerns, some of which are listed in our August, 2015 Newsletter.
One of the biggest issues UPAN receives letters from inmates and emails from families about has to do with Board decisions that result in incarceration continuing months and years past the original matrix. In an effort to gather information about Utah inmates who are over their original Board matrix, we have developed a survey document that can be completed by inmates.
(To understand about the Board matrix versus the Sentencing or PSI matrix, please refer to the August 2015 newsletter article on the legislative audit).
Families and friends may download the survey and send it in to their loved ones. If you have an inmate in a county jail that allows only postcard mail from family, we encourage you to mail the survey by itself in an envelope with the UPAN P.O. Box return address on it. Do not include a personal letter in that envelope, but please inform your loved one over the phone or on a postcard that it is coming and tell them to return it to the UPAN P.O. Box address.
We have been informed that the identity of persons sharing information or the audit will be kept confidential. The auditors have access to the records to verify the information once they know which cases to look into.
The audit committee will complete the data gathering phase of their work by mid-October so these forms will need to be completed and mailed as soon as possible to “Audit” UPAN, P.O. Box 464, Draper, UT 84020. If your loved one prefers to send the completed form to you, please scan and email to [email protected].
I wish the committee would consider the “over-matrix” felons! I would love to have my husband home with me as I am in need of the help because of my ever changing physical handicaps. I cannot walk long distances, cannot do a lot of daily tasks because of my age, my Dandy-Walker Syndrome is becoming problematic. He has done every program within the prison and has tried over the past year to comply with all the system has asked of him. Please consider him for release!!!
The Legislative Auditors are looking at the survey information coming in about all Board issues, particularly those inmates who are over matrix. We at UPAN understand and sympathize with your situation and your husband’s dilemma and he is not alone. There are hundreds in his position. Hopefully our lawmakers and governor will pay attention to how the Board makes decisions once the audit is completed and the report shared.
My son James had his board hearing in August. The man that came for the board was a very good person. I’m sure he has heard all the stories, but he really listened to my son. He could see all the good James had accomplished and tell that he was ready to come home and take care of his family. He said he was going to recommend a total of five years, which James has already been away for over three years. I was so devastated when in three days later that he would be gone for another six years. I am certain that the board did not even take the time to really look it over or talk about my sons life or the life of his children. I feel this is one area that really should be looked at. Thank you for your time
Shonna Sine
Yes, this is exactly why we are pleased that there is a Board audit going on. So many report the discrepancies of the recommendations they were given in a hearing and a very quick decision that is no where near what the hearing officer said the recommendation would be. And it begs the question of if the Board Members even read the information in the file or the recommendation.