Governor Rell Appoints Former Rep. Julia Wasserman

to State Board of Pardons and Paroles

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has nominated former state Rep. Julia Wasserman of Newtown to serve as a part-time member of the newly restructured Board of Pardons and Paroles.

            Wasserman represented the 106^th Assembly District for 17 years before leaving in 2008. Wasserman served in a number of leadership positions, including House chairwoman of the Legislature’s Program Review and Investigations Committee in 1999, becoming the only member of the minority party in the House to chair a standing legislative committee.

            “I have profound respect for Julia, whom I had the pleasure of serving with for years as her colleague in the House. She was a strong and effective advocate and met each challenge with distinction,” Governor Rell said. “She will bring tremendous leadership and thoroughness to the Board of Pardons and Paroles.”

            A former captain in the U.S. Army, Wasserman has a bachelor’s of arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College and earned a master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University, which she has served as a guest lecturer. She is also the former health director for the town of New Fairfield and has served on a number of local environmental commissions.

The state Board was restructured by a new law that was prompted by a several serious crimes in which paroled prisoners were identified as suspects. Under the new law, which took effect July 1, 2008, the Board has a chairman and five full-time, professional members augmented by 12 part-time members. All 18 members must be qualified by education, experience, or training in administering community corrections, parole or pardons; criminal justice; criminology; evaluation or supervision of offenders; or providing mental health services to offenders.

Legislation passed during a special session in January 2008 also established a new felony offense of “home invasion” and significantly restructured the Board of Pardons and Paroles, adding staff and establishing new requirements and procedures for screening inmates for histories of violent crime and their potential to reoffend.

            The bill also granted the Board access to an offender’s records from juvenile court, which had previously been held confidential, and prohibits the Board from acting on a case unless it has all of the relevant records before it. The state is developing an integrated, interagency computer system that will allow prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, parole and probation authorities and others to share information more effectively.

            Wasserman’s nomination is pending legislative approval.