Granby-East Granby State Senator Fighting to Keep Criminal Pardons Public

If a convict receives a pardon, should the public know why?

State Senator John Kissel (R), who represents Granby and East Granby, will be fighting to keep pardon records open, according to an editorial from the New Britain Herald posted on his website.

“It’s very important for the public to know who is being granted pardons and what are the grounds for the granting of those pardons," he said in the editorial. “We’re talking about someone … guilty of a crime against society and individuals."

The New Britain Herald posted the editorial in response to a Journal Inquirer article. The JI article reports on a new bill before the state senate which would seal records in pardon cases, the editorial said.

If the bill were approved, the public would likely only be given the name of the pardoned individual and the vote, and would not be privy to whether pardons were granted due to compassion, new evidence, etc., according to the editorial.

View the full editorial on his website.

Kissel represents East Granby, Enfield, Granby, Somers, Suffield, Windsor and Windsor Locks.