What happens when the Office of the Pardon Attorney receives a federal commutation request?
When a commutation petition is received by the Office of the Pardon Attorney, it is assigned to one of approximately five full-time attorneys working on that office’s staff. That attorney is responsible for investigating and reviewing the petition, including getting help or information from the FBI and the BOP. The typical commutation investigation includes contacting the warden at the facility where the prisoner is currently incarcerated, obtaining the prisoner’s most recent “progress report,” and getting copies of court opinions, transcripts, the presentence investigation report, and any media coverage of the case. Most of the time, the pardon attorney’s office can make a recommendation on the petition with only this basic information. In a minority of cases there could be more investigation, especially if the applicant appears particularly deserving of clemency, raises significant policy issues related to federal criminal law enforcement, or the petition is likely to attract widespr
