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	Record Group Number:	000200
	Series/Collection Number:	.S 1827
	Creator:	Florida. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
	Title, Dates:	Capital punishment correspondence, 1972-1979.
	Amount:	1.75 cubic ft.
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	Organization/Arrangement:	Chronological by year.
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	Biographical/Historical:	The Executive Clemency Board (formerly known as the Board of Pardons) was established under Florida's Constitution of 1868. Its members were comprised of the Governor, justices of the State Supreme Court, and the Attorney General. The constitution empowered the Board with the authority to remit fines and forfeitures, commute punishment and grant pardons after conviction, in all cases, except treason and impeachment. "The Constitution of 1885 re-organized the Board of Pardons, to consist of the Governor and Cabinet Members also known as the Board of Commissioners of State Institutions. The Cabinet constituted the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Comptroller." Later on, the Treasurer and Commissioner of Education would be included as members of the Board. In 1889, the constitution was amended to remove the management of the state prison from the Adjutant General, "transferring the prison system to the Commissioner of Agriculture." To assume that the convicts would adhere to the "conditional pardon" which required them to "maintain good behavior," in 1895 the Florida Legislature "authorized the appointment of a State Convict Inspector" to assist the Pardon Board with the ongoing investigation of the convicts' behavior before and after their pardon. However, throughout the years, despite their efforts to manage the pardon and parole system, "the Pardon Board was increasingly criticized for the shortcomings and inadequacies that developed." In 1941, a Parole Commission was created to "determine who should be eligible for parole; setting the terms and conditions of parole; supervising parolees; investigating violations of parole; and providing the Board of Pardons with background information on persons applying for pardon, commutation, or remission of fine." Although the pardon/parole/probation system was now under one agency, the Parole Commission, the prison institutions were still under the authority and responsibility of the Commissioner of Agriculture. Years later, the Legislature removed the prison system from the Department of Agriculture and placed it under a more closely related agency and then finally its own agency, the Department of Corrections. (Quoted from: Senate Committee on Criminal Justice Staff Report on Corrections, Parole and Probation. Tallahassee: Florida (1974))
	Summary:	This series contains the general correspondence received and sent by Commissioner Doyle Conner in his capacity as a member of the Executive Clemency Board. Incoming correspondence is from individuals worldwide expressing support or opposition to Florida's use of capital punishment. Of special interest are those letters sent from Europeans on behalf of Amnesty International.
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	Associated Materials:	Series 1819 contains Commissioner Doyle Conner's records documenting his involvement as Cabinet Member on the Executive Clemency Board.
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	Subject Access Fields:	Florida. Office of Executive Clemency. Clemency, Executive Office of Pardon Florida Parole Florida Capital punishment History Florida Post-conviction remedies Florida Criminals Florida Criminal justice, Administration of Florida Death Row Florida Death Row inmates Florida
	Added Entries	Conner, Doyle, 1928- Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services.