LANSING – In a significant executive order issued late Monday afternoon, Governor Rick Snyder took authority for the state’s parole system out of the Executive Office and put that authority in the Department of Corrections by creating a new parole board.

It was unclear if the impact of the order would make parole easier for prisoners, and thus possibly save the state money, or if it might mark a reversal from the parole policies of former Governor Jennifer Granholm and make parole more difficult. Snyder said in a statement that under the order professionals would now make parole decisions.

In EO 2011-3, Snyder abolished the Michigan Parole and Commutation Board that was created by former Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2009. Also eliminated was the Executive Clemency Council created by Granholm in 2007. Instead, he created a new Michigan Parole Board within the department.

The new board will consist of 10 members, down from 15, named by the department director and not by the governor. Ultimately each board member will serve a four-year term, but the initial board will have four members serving for four years, three for three years and three for two-year terms. The members will not be classified civil service workers.

The number of cases up for parole has dwindled after surging in 2009, and Corrections officials told The Associated Press that there are no longer enough parole cases to justify a 15-member board. The order takes effect on April 15.

In a press release, Snyder said the action would save the state money by removing a layer of bureaucracy from the parole system.

He also said corrections professionals would now make parole decisions. What that might mean in terms of seeing prisoners released at their earliest eligible parole dates – or held longer and closer to their maximum sentences – was unclear.

John Sellek, spokesperson forAttorney General Bill Schuette, said in a statement of Snyder’s executive order: “Attorney General Schuette supports reforming state government, as long as its responsibility for public safety is priority number one. Dangerous criminals must be kept behind bars.”

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