Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Executive Clemency
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Executive Clemency can only be granted by the Governor of the State of Ohio. Section 2967.07 of the Ohio Revised Code requires that all applications for clemency be made in writing to the Adult Parole Authority. The Ohio Parole Board is the bureau of the Adult Parole Authority assigned to process clemency applications. The Governor may also direct the Parole Board to investigate and examine any case for the propriety of clemency.
Upon completion of its examination, the Parole Board sends a report to the governor providing a summary of the facts in the case, a recommendation for or against the granting of clemency, and the reasoning behind the recommendation. Clemency can be in the form of a pardon, commutation, or reprieve:
Pardon
A pardon is the remission of a penalty. It is an act of grace or forgiveness that relieves the person pardoned from some or all of the ramifications of lawful punishment. A pardon may be conditional or unconditional.
Commutation
Commutation is the substitution of a lesser for a greater punishment. A commutation may be conditional or unconditional.
Reprieve
A reprieve is the temporary postponement of the execution of a sentence.
The granting of clemency has historically been infrequent and should not be considered a routine post-conviction remedy. Only the person seeking clemency or their legal representative can apply for clemency.
To obtain an Application for Executive Clemency (2 pages)and the Application Instructions and Guidelines(4 pages) you may download this document as a PDF file from this site. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents.
To request these documents be mailed to you, interested applicants may also contact:
Ohio Parole Board
770 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43222
(614) 752-1200
or toll-free 1-888-344-1441