Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles holds absolute pardon session; dozens granted, a few denied after victim testimony

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles met by videoconference on Sept. 9, 2025, to hear applications for absolute pardons. Chair Deborah Smith Palmeri and parole officer/hearing coordinator Parole Officer Bryant presided. Board members hearing cases included Joy Chance and Sergio Rodriguez among others. Applicants spoke briefly about their convictions, rehabilitation, employment and community work; the board asked targeted questions about treatment, sobriety, victim contact and any outstanding restitution.

The board granted many full and absolute pardons during a long docket of individual hearings. Members regularly cited the combination of long elapsed time since convictions, stable employment or small-business ownership, completion of court-ordered programs and evidence of community service as reasons for supporting pardons. Several applicants stressed long periods without arrest, participation in counseling or 12-step programs, and examples of paid or voluntary work that the board pointed to as evidence of rehabilitation.

Victim impact shaped several decisions. The board denied a full and absolute pardon for Jennifer…