Heather Somers and Audrey Carlson: Sounding the alarm on behalf of victims and their families
April 20, 2023Heather Somers and Audrey Carlson: Sounding the alarm on behalf of victims and their families
Hartford Courant op-ed
Audrey Carlson of Newington, talks about her daughter Elizbeth Carlson who was murdered on May 22, 2002. She applauded Gov. Ned Lamont for removing the chairman of the embattled parole board but is also seeking to halt all commutations until a new policy is enacted.
By HEATHER SOMERS and AUDREY CARLSON
April 19, 2023
Sunday, April 23 marks the start of “National Crime Victims’ Week”, a time to elevate survivors’ voices, to engage, and to effect change.
Here in Connecticut, we have been trying to do exactly that for the past six weeks.
Why have we been sounding the alarm on behalf of victims and their families?
Because in a huge policy change, the state’s unelected Board of Pardons and Paroles has been quietly shaving multiple decades off of convicted murderers’ prison sentences. For 44 murderers in the past two years, the average commutation has been 15 years.
The board recently shaved 67 years off of someone’s 95-year sentence. It has commuted 100-year sentences to 28 years for convicts who have committed multiple murders with guns. Commutations – and applications for commutations – have spiked.
But why is this happening? Why are murderers who previously cut iron-clad plea deals getting let out of prison? Why are those contracts, which were thoughtfully decided upon by judges, juries, prosecutors and survivors, now getting overturned by a three-person subcommittee of laypeople?
We called on Gov. Ned Lamont to ask those same questions, since he appoints the board’s members. We learned that the governor had not been told these outrageous commutations were taking place. Members of the legislature’s powerful Judiciary Committee were also unaware.
To his credit, Gov. Lamont acknowledged “it’s time to step back and see how the policy is working” and noted how “the seriousness of the topic demands a careful approach involving the General Assembly as well as stakeholders, especially victims.” But even after that clear public statement from Connecticut’s top elected official, the unelected board continued to commute the sentences of violent felons.
On Apr. 7, Gov. Lamont announced that he had replaced the board’s chair Carleton Giles. We applauded the governor for taking that action. However, Mr. Giles – who came up with and directed the “commutations on steroids” policy – remains on the board. This is a major mistake in our opinion. (“Parole board’s power still in play”, Hartford Courant, Apr. 16)
Allowing the board chair to remain on this controversial panel is akin to removing the captain of a ship, but allowing him to continue to help guide the vessel. The boat is still going to be heading in the wrong direction, the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system will continue to be undermined, and victims will continue to be re-victimized.
On Apr. 12, the Democrat-controlled State Senate approved the former chair’s nomination for a new four-year term on the board. Two Democrats joined Republicans in voting “no” after a debate which focused on numerous cases where convicted Connecticut killers had their sentences significantly reduced. To those Democrats, we say, “Thank you.” The nomination will soon be voted on by the House of Representatives, where we will be closely monitoring that debate and the votes cast.
During National Crime Victims’ Week, we continue to push for an open and transparent process where every victim, lawmaker, prosecutor and defense attorney has input on how this commutations policy should be revised.
We’re the ones representing the people of the state of Connecticut, not the Board of Pardons and Paroles. We need to decide collectively what that policy is — what is fair, what is just, and what is right. Through engagement and through dialogue, we can make survivors’ voices heard and effect positive change.
Heather Somers of Groton represents the 18th Senate District. Audrey Carlson of Newington is the founder of the Hartford Happiness Club which was formed after her daughter Elizabeth was murdered in 2002.
