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Alabama parole board denies most parole requests, grants several pardons at Feb. 26 meeting
Summary
At its Feb. 26 public meeting in Montgomery the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles denied parole in the majority of cases it reviewed, granted a small number of paroles with conditions and issued several pardons — including two full pardons restoring civil and political rights.
The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles met in Montgomery on Feb. 26, 2026, and reviewed its daily parole and pardon docket. Chair Hal Nash presided; Board Member Gabrelle Simmons and board secretary Nicole Lewis were present. The board approved the minutes from Feb. 25, 2026, then considered individual parole and pardon petitions.
The board denied parole in the majority of cases on the docket and set reset dates in a number of those matters (commonly listed as month/year, e.g., 2/2028 or 2/2031). Several denials listed no reset date. The board granted parole in a small number of cases with conditions. For example, the board granted parole to Shawn Holmes (AIS#254223) and ordered participation in the Perry Co. Probation/Parole Reentry Education Program (PREP), placement on a GPS ankle monitor, mental-health follow-up and a drug assessment upon release. Derrick Davis (AIS#163706) was also granted parole with similar supervision and treatment conditions. Jason F. Bearden Jr. (AIS#200332) was granted parole with PREP, approved halfway house placement, GPS monitoring and follow-up requirements.
On pardons, the board granted full pardons restoring all civil and political rights to George W. McCants Jr. (AIS#816153) and Richard B. Giddens (AIS#828009). The board granted a restoration of voting rights only to Clifford D. Pettiway (AIS#828154) and issued pardons with specified restrictions (relief from the habitual-offender act and firearms disabilities) to Gerald B. Orr (AIS#824383) and Jerome Staples (AIS#823911). Other pardon petitions on the docket were denied.
Multiple family members, victims and advocates spoke for or against individual cases. Victim and advocacy speakers who appeared repeatedly included Carmen Beatty (victim's mother), Bayleigh Duckett (victim), Ky'Toria Lawson (VOCAL) and Jacqueline Fowler (Veterans service representative / Attorney General's Office). Their testimony factored into the individual case records the board reviewed, and the board’s written votes for each petitioner reflect the outcomes announced during the meeting.
The board reviewed a separate list of files for revocation and noted its docket of reinstatements, continuances and revocations for administrative processing. The meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m.; the board’s next scheduled meeting is March 3, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. at 301 South Ripley Street, Montgomery.
Votes and notable outcomes at a glance: the board denied parole for a majority of docketed parole cases (several with reset dates such as 2/2028 or 2/2031), granted parole with conditions to at least Shawn Holmes (AIS#254223), Derrick Davis (AIS#163706) and Jason F. Bearden Jr. (AIS#200332), granted full pardons to George W. McCants Jr. (AIS#816153) and Richard B. Giddens (AIS#828009), and restored voting rights only for Clifford D. Pettiway (AIS#828154). The board approved minutes from the previous meeting and adjourned by majority vote.
