§ 22-3701 — Pardons and commutations; duties of prisoner review board; notification to victims

(a) The governor may pardon, or commute the sentence of, any person convicted of a crime in any court of this state upon such terms and conditions as prescribed in the order granting the pardon or commutation.
(b) The prisoner review board, hereafter referred to as the board, shall adopt rules and regulations governing the procedure for initiating, processing, and reviewing applications for pardon, or commutation of sentence filed by and on behalf of persons convicted of crime.
(c) Except as otherwise provided, no pardon or commutation of sentence shall be granted until more than 30 days after written notice of the application therefor has been given to: (1) The prosecuting attorney and the judge of the court in which the defendant was convicted; and (2) any victim of the person's crime or the victim's family, if the person was convicted of a crime specified in article 34, 35 or 36 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, prior to their repeal, or articles 54, 55 or 56 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, or K.S.A. 21-6104, 21-6325, 21-6326 or 21-6418 through 21-6422, and amendments thereto. Notice of such application for pardon or commutation of sentence shall be given by the secretary of corrections to the victim who is alive and whose address is known to the secretary of corrections, or if the victim is deceased, to the victim's family if the family's address is known to the secretary of corrections. Notice of the receipt of such application shall be given by publication in the official county paper of the county of conviction. The form of notice shall be prescribed by the board. If the applicant executes a poverty affidavit, the cost of one publication of the notice during a 12-month period shall be paid by the state. If more than one notice of application is published during any 12-month period the additional cost of publication shall be paid by the applicant. Subject to the provisions of subsection (d), if written notification is not given to such victim who is alive and whose address is known to the secretary of corrections or, if the victim is deceased, to the victim's family if the family's address is known to the secretary of corrections, the governor shall not grant or deny such application until a time at least 30 days after notification is given by publication as provided in this section.
(d) All applications for pardon or commutation of sentence shall be referred to the board. The board shall examine each case and submit a report, together with such information as the board may have concerning the applicant, to the governor within 120 days after referral to the board. The governor shall not grant or deny any such application until the governor has received the report of the board or until 120 days after the referral to the board, whichever time is the shorter and the provisions of subsection (c) have been satisfied.

Legislative History

L. 1970, ch. 129, § 22-3701; L. 1972, ch. 317, § 79; L. 1973, ch. 339, § 58; L. 1992, ch. 298, § 94; L. 1997, ch. 23, § 1; L. 2011, ch. 30, § 134; L. 2012, ch. 16, § 8; L. 2015, ch. 94, § 6; July 1.