The governor’s power to grant or deny pardons has been in the news recently. How does an offender apply for a pardon or commutation of sentence? The answer can be found on the Colorado Department of Corrections’ Clemency Requests webpage. Here the steps for applying for clemency are outlined, along with facts about the process:
The governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after conviction, for all offenses except treason, and except in case of impeachment, subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law relative to the manner of applying for pardons. Clemency in Colorado has two types: commutation and pardon. A pardon may be granted after a conviction and is a public forgiveness for a crime after completion of the sentence. A commutation modifies a sentence. The procedure the Colorado Legislature has enacted for the commute and pardon process is found in Colorado Revised Statutes, §§ 16-17-101, 102. There are no fees required to apply for executive clemency and no time constraints under which any application for executive clemency must be processed. See the webpage for guidelines and for a link to the application, which must be completed under the advisement of the offender’s case manager.
Former Technical Services Librarian at State Publications Library
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