State of Alaska > Department of Corrections > Parole Board

Parole Board

Mission: With due respect to the rights of crime victims, the Board of Parole will make equitable decisions that minimize risk to the public, while facilitating offender reintegration into society; and impose sanctions when offenders present an unreasonable risk.

Jeffrey Edwards
Director
jeffrey.edwards@alaska.gov

Kelcey Wallender
Parole Administrator

kelcey.wallender@alaska.gov

Christopher McKenzie
Hearing Officer IV

christopher.mckenzie@alaska.gov

Michelle Garner
Clemency Administrator

michelle.garner@alaska.gov

Jimmie Chynoweth
Hearing Officer III

jimmie.chynoweth@alaska.gov

Keith Thayer
Hearing Officer III

keith.thayer@alaska.gov

Brent Wilson
Hearing Officer III

brent.wilson@alaska.gov

Vacant
Parole Board Officer

Michelle O'Farrell
Criminal Justice Technician

michelle.ofarrell@alaska.gov

Cindy Wade
Criminal Justice Technician

cindy.wade@alaska.gov

Taylor Viens
Administrative Assistant

taylor.viens@alaska.gov

Leitoni Matakaiongo Tupou earned a Bachelor Degree from Brigham Young University - Hawaii Campus and moved to Juneau, Alaska in 1982. He has actively served in many capacities in the community. Governor Michael J. Dunleavy appointed him to a five year term with the Alaska Board of Parole on September 19, 2019 which was effective March 3, 2020. Mr. Tupou has served in many capacities within the Alaska Department of Corrections such as Correctional Officer, Probation/Parole Officer, Interstate Compact Administrator, Director of the Division of Institutions and Deputy Commissioner.

Sarah Possenti was appointed to a five-year term on the Board of Parole by Governor Parnell in March 2011.

She has served in numerous capacities for the Alaska Department of Corrections, most recently as an Institutional Probation Officer at Fairbanks Correctional Center, and prior to that, as a Field Probation Officer. She formerly served as program coordinator for the Fairbanks North Star Youth Court.

Mrs. Possenti holds Bachelor's degrees in Criminal Justice and Social Work from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is appointed to a seat on the board reserved for a resident of the 4th Judicial District.

She is a resident of Fairbanks.

Mr. Meyer retired from the State of Alaska, Department of Corrections in 2014, after a 21 year career. His tenure with the Department included 11 years with the Division of Institutions as a Correctional Officer, Prisoner Transportation Officer, Correctional Sergeant, and one year as a Training Officer II with the Department Academy. In 2004, he began the remaining ten years of his career as a field Probation/Parole Officer in the Kenai Field Probation Office. From 1994 to 2008, he was an operator for the Alaska State Troopers Special Emergency Response Team (SERT). He is an active member of his community and has served on numerous boards and advisory committees. He resides in Kenai.

Jason Wilson was recently appointed by Governor Walker to the Parole Board to complete the remaining term following a vacancy on the board. Jason is only the second Alaska Native to be appointed to the Parole Board. Jason first joined Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Central Council) in 2002 as a youth advocate where he provided case management to youth referred to the Tribe by the State of Alaska’s Division of Juvenile Justice and Office of Children’s Services. He later served as family caseworker and supervisor for the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) program, as well as criminal justice specialist for the Tribe’s Children’s Justice Act Initiative. In 2009, he was promoted to Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program coordinator and then manager of the Public Safety department in 2011. As manager of the Public Safety department, he oversees the Second Chance Prisoner Re-entry and VPSO programs.

Prior to working for the Tribe, Jason also worked eight years as a youth counselor for Johnson Youth Services where he developed individual treatment plans and facilitated youth groups. In the Juneau community, Jason has served as the head swim coach for Thunder Mountain High School (TMHS) for the past six years as well as the assistant coach for the TMHS softball team.

Jason was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska.

Mr. Larson retired from the State of Alaska, Department of Corrections in 2005, after a 29 year career His tenure with the Department included 6 years as a youth counselor in the division of youth services, Correctional Officer, Correctional Shift Sergeant, Facility Administrator, Assistant Correctional Superintendent 14 years, Correctional Superintendent 6 years. He worked in 7 different correctional facilities from Anchorage to Mat-Su to Fairbanks. He was previously on the State of Alaska Parole board from 2010 to 2020 and has been reinstated in April of 2022 to the Parole Board. He is an active member of his community and serves on numerous local boards and advisory committees. He resides in the Mat-Su Valley.

Note: As of January 2018, there is a NEW process for applying for clemency in the State of Alaska.

All individuals who have submitted applications or eligibility forms to the Alaska Board of Parole since 2006 MUST submit a new, signed, updated application and waivers to the Alaska Board of Parole. Applications must be mailed or emailed.

Our mailing address is:

550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 1800
Anchorage, Alaska 99501

Our e-mail address is:

clemency@alaska.gov

If you submitted an application or eligibility form to the Alaska Board of Parole since 2006, and do not submit a new, updated application and waivers to the Alaska Board of Parole, your previous request for executive clemency will be deemed DENIED.

Download Clemency Application and Waivers

Definitions/Types of Clemency

Clemency is an extraordinary measure. The term "clemency" refers to the constitutional power given exclusively to the Governor (Article III, Section 21) that allows him or her to grant a pardon, commutation, reprieve, or remission of fines and forfeitures. The Governor only has clemency power over State crimes.

A pardon is an order of official forgiveness granted to an individual for a crime or crimes. A pardon does not expunge, remove, or erase the crime from that individual's record.

A commutation is a partial or full reduction of a sentence for a person now incarcerated for having committed a crime or crimes. A commutation substitutes a less severe punishment for the original sentence that the individual was given.

A reprieve provides temporary relief from punishment. With a reprieve, an applicant may be given the opportunity to postpone the beginning of incarceration or shorten the period of incarceration, perhaps due to extenuating circumstances.

A remission of fines is a reduction or cancellation of court-ordered fines.

Note: clemency is different from expungement. Expungement is the process of erasing, removing, or deleting a criminal record. Alaska does not have a law or method to expunge criminal history records at this time. Even those individuals who receive clemency will not have their records expunged.

FAQ

Clemency refers to the Governor's constitutional power that allows him or her to grant a pardon, commutation, reprieve, or remission of fines and forfeitures for those convicted of crimes under Alaska state law.

You need to apply for clemency. Applications are available through the Alaska Board of Parole's website.

Paper applications can be mailed to:

Alaska Board of Parole
550 W 7th Ave, Ste. 1800
Anchorage, AK 99501

Applications can also be submitted to the Alaska Board of Parole by e-mail at clemency@alaska.gov.

There are no fees charged in this process.

Legal representation is not necessary for this process.

No. There is no form of clemency that will expunge, remove, or clear an offense from a criminal record.

Yes, you need to reapply. If you submitted an application or clemency between the years of 2006-2018, you MUST submit a new application and waivers to the Alaska Board of Parole. If you do not submit updated information to the Alaska Board of Parole, your previous request for executive clemency will be deemed DENIED. You may apply for clemency again at a later date.

Authority

The Governor's authority for clemency is outlined in Article III, Section 21, of the Alaska Constitution, which provides that the Governor may grant pardons, commutations, and reprieves, and may suspend and remit fines and forfeitures. This authority does not apply to impeachment. The Governor's authority is reiterated in AS 33.20.070. The power to grant pardons, commutations, reprieves, and remission of fines is within the sole discretion of the Governor.

Any person who has committed a crime under the laws of the State or Territory of Alaska may petition for clemency. Therefore, the Governor's clemency power does not extend to crimes committed under federal law, municipal law, or the laws of another state. The Governor's pardoning power does not include expunging arrest or conviction records.

Process

When an application for any form of clemency is received by the Board of Parole, it is screened for eligibility. Eligible applications will be forwarded to the Office of the Governor. The Governor may choose to deny an application at this stage, or may refer the application back to the Board of Parole for further investigation.

Once the Governor indicates that he or she would like further review of an application, the Board of Parole will send notice to the victim(s) of a crime against a person, crime of domestic violence, or arson in the first degree, the Office of Victims' Rights, and the Department of Law within 5 days of the clemency investigation. Those notified will have an opportunity to provide comments to the Board of Parole on the clemency application. The Board of Parole will send notification of consideration to the applicant, and may request additional information from the applicant at that time. The Board of Parole will collect other background information on the applicant, including but not limited to court records, police reports, and/or probation and parole records, among others. No later than 120 days after receipt of notice of consideration from the Governor, the Board will submit a report of investigation to the Governor with its findings.

Next, the application and findings from the Board of Parole will go to the Executive Clemency Advisory Committee. This committee will review the materials and make a recommendation to the Governor.

The Governor has the authority to make the final decision with regard to clemency. Once he or she has made a decision, the Board of Parole and Executive Clemency Advisory Committee are notified. The Board of Parole provides notice to the victim, Office of Victims' Rights, Department of Law, and the applicant, of the decision. The Governor's decision is final and may not be appealed.

Download flow chart as PDF

The statutes and regulation relating to parole in Alaska are primarily found in the following sections of the Alaska Statutes and Alaska Administrative Code:

Statutes Relating to Parole
- Chapter 16. Parole Administration (AS 33.16.010 - 33.16.900)
Alaska Administrative Code Relating to Parole
- 22 AAC, Chapter 20 - Alaska Board of Parole (22 AAC 20.005 - 20.990)

Download Regulations as Word Document

Of Interest

2022 Parole Board Meeting (audio file)

2021 Parole Board Meeting

2016 Parole Board Meeting (audio file)
2015 Parole Board Public Meeting (audio file)
2014 Parole Board Public Meeting (audio file)
2013 Parole Board Public Meeting (audio file)

Alaska Department of Corrections

Parole Board

Note: As of January 2018, there is a NEW process for applying for clemency in the State of Alaska.

Jump to:

Definitions/Types of Clemency

FAQ

Authority

Process

Of Interest

Statistics

Quick Links

Parole Board

Staff

Board Members

Leitoni Matakaiongo Tupou, Chair

Sarah Possenti, Vice Chair

Steve Meyer, Member

Jason Wilson, Member

Ole Larson, Member

Clemency Update

**Note: As of January 2018, there is a NEW process for applying for clemency in the State of Alaska.**

Jump to:

Definitions/Types of Clemency

FAQ

What is clemency?

How do I get a pardon?

Where do I send my application?

Are there costs to file for clemency?

Do I need an attorney to prepare and file my application?

Will a pardon expunge my record?

What if I already applied for clemency back in 2007? Do I need to reapply?

Authority

Process

Statutes and Regulations

Of Interest

Statistics

Quick Links

Note: As of January 2018, there is a NEW process for applying for clemency in the State of Alaska.