Tara Jacobs of North Adams sits on the eight-member body that advises the governor on pardons, judicial appointments, and other matters related to the criminal legal system.
“I really value clemency work," Jacobs told WAMC. "I think pardons are such an important function in our justice system, and I'm so lucky to be serving on Governor's Council at a time when we have a governor who shares that view and wants to be doing more clemency work.”
Jacobs represents the vast District 8, which covers most of Western Massachusetts. Since she took over the seat in 2023, she’s backed most of Governor Maura Healey’s pardon recommendations and took part in the historic decision to issue blanket clemency to all residents with marijuana possession convictions earlier this year.
“There was a time looking back in history, decades and decades back, when pardons were a regular part of Governor's Council work," the council member told WAMC. "Every Wednesday, when we have assembly, we have a stack of notaries that we approve, justices of the peace- It used to be, along with those two things, there'd be a little stack of pardons as well over time for political reasons, and otherwise that ceased to be the case. But we'd love to see that become, again, a regular form of housekeeping.”
Jacobs says not enough people know how to go about clearing their records of past convictions that might make it difficult to find work, housing, or other vital resources.
“In 2023 only 24 people in the entire state of Massachusetts applied for a pardon," she said. "And so, it makes it challenging when you don't have a big pool to be able to really do this kind of clemency work with regularity.”
To spread the good word about clemency, Jacobs is holding an event titled “Pathway to Pardons: Lunch and Learn” in Springfield.
“The first panel is the decision makers in the process," said the councilor. "So, someone representing the Advisory Board of Pardons, which is also the parole board. They wear two hats, but they are the ones who do the initial evaluation and assessment of applicants for pardons and decide who gets a hearing, and then they make a recommendation to the governor. When that happens, the next step is the governor's legal office does their own assessment. And our panel is designed to talk about the process, but also, who's eligible? What are the governor's guidelines around clemency? What are the factors and criteria we consider when making our decision and determination?”
The second panel concerns the experience of applying for pardon.
“I have three of the preeminent lawyers in clemency work who are joining us, and someone representing victim services, because the victim voice is a component of pardon work, and somebody from the reentry world from the Hampton County Sheriff AISS support services, which works with people in the reentry community who are who we're talking about, people who, they have a felony on their record going back however far, and it's still posing a little barrier of some kind, or a big barrier to their successful availing themselves of their second chance," Jacobs explained. "I'm really hopeful that people will come learn about the process, demystify it.”
The goal is to simply make life easier for people in Western Massachusetts looking to move forward with their lives.
“The people who are coming really are people who work directly with communities who are likely to have need, from the CORI standpoint, of people- Parents who want to be able to volunteer at their kids’ schools and get a job at a school to people who are looking for a federal grant to get an education loan," Jacobs told WAMC. "These are the kinds of obstacles people encounter in life, and what pardons can help smooth away for.”
Jacobs’ “Pathway To Pardons” event begins at noon Friday at Western New England Law School in Springfield.
