• The commission acts as an investigative body that supports the Board of Executive Clemency in considering petitions for clemency by offenders.
• The commission seeks to protect public safety by determining the suitability of releasing certain offenders from incarceration and setting the terms and conditions of supervision for post-prison releases.

• Clemency. Clemency is a constitutionally authorized process through which an individual may have some or all of their rights restored. The commission serves as an investigative body that supports the Board of Executive Clemency (composed of the Governor and members of the Florida Cabinet, which consists of the Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Chief Financial Officer). The commission conducts investigative reports of persons under consideration by the board for full pardon, pardon without firearm authority, pardon for misdemeanor, commutation of sentence, remission of fines and forfeitures, specific authority to own, possess, or use firearms, restoration of civil rights, or restoration of alien status under Florida law. In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission completed 9,163 clemency cases.
• Parole Determination. The commission conducts administrative, quasi-judicial hearings to determine whether to release offenders on parole or conditional medical release. Offenses which are eligible for parole include those that occurred prior to October 1, 1983, as well as specific felony offenses enumerated by statute after 1983, and prior to October 31, 1995, for certain capital felony cases. As of June 2022, there were 3,661 inmates who were eligible for parole consideration, a decrease from 3,789 in June 2021. In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission made 1,013 parole release determinations, resulting in 27 inmates being released on parole. 
• Supervision Term and Condition Setting. The commission sets terms and conditions of supervision for parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and conditional medical release such as mandatory drug treatment, anger management counseling, and/or restrictions on where the offender may reside. As of June 2022, there were 374 parolees on supervision.
• Offender Revocation. The commission makes final determinations regarding alleged violations of parole, conditional release, addiction recovery release, control release, and conditional medical release. Upon a finding of fact that an offender has violated the terms and conditions of his or her release, the commissioners may vote to revoke supervision and return the offender to prison. In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission made 1,238 revocation determinations.
• Victim Assistance. The commission notifies and solicits input from victims of offenders being considered for parole, clemency, or conditional medical release. In addition, the commission gathers information about the nature of the crime to assist in determining whether aggravating factors (e.g., torture, excessive brutality) were present. In setting the presumptive parole release date, the commission may use this information to increase the date at which the inmate is first eligible for parole. In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission provided 29,904 victim assists.
• Warrants. The commission issues warrants for the arrest of violators on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery release, control release, and conditional medical release. In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the commission issued 1,554 warrants.

• Goal 1: Select individuals appropriate for parole. The objective is to identify individuals who will succeed as law-abiding citizens. For Fiscal Year 2021-22, 96.3% of inmates paroled during the reporting period successfully completed their first three years of supervision without revocation. The commission's projected goal was 90%.
• Goal 2: Ensure informed decision-making. The objective is to provide complete and accurate information to the Commission on Offender Review and Board of Executive Clemency. For Fiscal Year2021-22, 99.9% of the case records contained no factual errors. The commission's projected goal was 98%.
• Goal 3: Guarantee timely decisions. The objective is to complete the revocation process within specific timeframes. For Fiscal Year 2021-22, 99.7% of revocation cases were completed within 90 days of final hearing. The commission's projected goal was 99%.
• Goal 4: Ensure informed decision-making for Restoration of Civil Rights cases without a hearing. The objective is to ensure that eligibility determinations and investigatory information provided to the Board of Executive Clemency, for without a hearing cases, contain no factual errors. For Fiscal Year 2021-22 100% of without a hearing cases had no factual errors. The commission's projected goal was 99%. 
• Goal 5: Ensure informed decision-making for Restoration of Civil Rights cases with a hearing. The objective is to ensure that eligibility determinations and investigatory information provided to the Board of Executive Clemency, for with a hearing cases, contain no factual errors. For Fiscal Year 2021-22, there were no hearings for Restoration of Civil Rights cases.

Pay for Retired and Former Commissioners. In 2022, the Florida Legislature enacted Ch. 2022-104, Laws of Florida, which increased the pay for retired and former commissioners from $100 to $200 per day or portion of a day. Retired and former commissioners temporarily work for the commission when there is a workforce need, such as when a sitting commissioner is on leave. Retired and former commissioners who temporarily work must be trained on all new relevant laws and procedures and their duties include making revocation decisions and release decisions. The Governor and Cabinet must approve temporary work and FCOR has utilized temporary commissioners 50 times each year from approximately October 2019 to October 2021.

Other Reports
Reports and Publications, Florida Commission on Offender Review
Commission on Offender Review - Clemency and Conditional Medical Release - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report No. 2021-118, January 2021
Commission on Offender Review - Parole, Conditional Medical Release Program, and Selected Administrative Activities - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report No. 2019-025, September 2018
Commission on Offender Review - Post-Prison Supervisory Release Programs and Selected Administrative Activities - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report No. 2017-005, August 2016

Websites of Interest
Executive Office of the Governor, Clemency/Pardons
Florida Office of the Attorney General, Crime Victims' Services
U.S. Parole Commission

Performance Information

Public Affairs Office, 850-922-0000
Website