TITLE 20

STATE PRISON AND COUNTY JAILS

CHAPTER 10

IDAHO COMMISSION OF PARDONS AND PAROLE

20-1003.  Compliance with open meetings law — Executive sessions authorized — Report required. (1) All meetings and hearings of the commission shall be held in accordance with the open meetings law as provided in chapter 2, title 74, Idaho Code, except:

(a)  An initial review of an application for a request for parole, pardon, commutation or firearm restoration may be held in executive session. The executive session shall be limited to a decision as to whether a hearing should be granted;

(b)  When a hearing is granted, it will be conducted in open session. Pursuant to section 74-206, Idaho Code, deliberations and voting concerning the granting, revoking, reinstating or refusing of paroles; the granting or denying of pardons or commutations; or the granting or denying of firearm restorations shall be made in executive session;

(c)  Votes of individual commissioners in arriving at the parole, pardon, firearm restoration or commutation decisions shall not be made public, provided that the commission shall maintain a record of the votes of the individual commissioners as required in subsection (3) of this section; and

(d)  Meetings of less than a majority of the commission to make decisions concerning the grant or denial of parole or the disposition of parole violations as provided in section 20-1002, Idaho Code.

(2)  In order to satisfy the requirements of section 74-203(5), Idaho Code, when the commission meets using telecommunications devices, the executive director may designate an employee of the commission to be present at the physical location of the meeting.

(3)  A written record of the vote to grant or deny parole, pardon, firearm restoration or commutation by each commissioner in each case reviewed by that commissioner shall be made by the commission. The record produced by the commission pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential and privileged from disclosure, provided the record shall be made available, upon request, to the governor or the governor’s representative, the chairman and most senior minority member of the senate judiciary and rules committee, and the chairman and most senior minority member of the house of representatives judiciary, rules and administration committee for all lawful purposes. All committee members and representatives of the governor’s office shall keep such record confidential. Distribution of the report by a commissioner or an employee of the executive director to any person not specifically listed in this section shall be a misdemeanor.

(4)  Nothing contained in this section shall prevent any person from obtaining the results of any parole, pardon, firearm restoration or commutation action by the commission without reference to the manner in which any individual commissioner voted, and the commission shall make such information public information.

(5)  Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the executive director or designated staff of the executive director from attending any meeting, including an executive session of the commission.

(6)  Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the governor, the governor’s representative, the chairman and most senior minority member of the senate judiciary and rules committee, and the chairman and most senior minority member of the house of representatives judiciary, rules and administration committee from attending any meeting, including an executive session of the commission.

History:

[(20-1003) 20-213A, added 1986, ch. 59, sec. 1, p. 168; am. 1988, ch. 29, sec. 1, p. 37; am. 1990, ch. 213, sec. 14, p. 499; am. 1992, ch. 278, sec. 1, p. 855; am. 1994, ch. 171, sec. 2, p. 384; am. 2000, ch. 362, sec. 1, p. 1199; am. 2017, ch. 58, sec. 9, p. 105; am. 2017, ch. 182, sec. 2, p. 416; am. 2017, ch. 217, sec. 1, p. 532; am. and redesig. 2021, ch. 196, sec. 4, p. 527; am. 2024, ch. 164, sec. 6, p. 625.]