[DC GOVERNMENT] DC Clemency Board Application

INSTRUCTIONS

Dear Applicant:

The District of Columbia Clemency Board (Clemency Board) was created to help people convicted of D.C. Code offenses receive a pardon or commutation from the President of the United States. To be granted clemency you must file an application with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Pardon Attorney (DOJ-Pardon). You can access the application here: https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-forms-instructions. Because D.C. is not a state and the Mayor is not a governor, the D.C. Clemency Board cannot grant clemency. It can recommend that the President of the United States grant clemency. If the Clemency Board decides to write a letter recommending clemency for you, it will send the letter of recommendation to the President of the United States for consideration when granting clemency and a copy to DOJ-Pardon. Receiving a letter of recommendation from the Clemency Board does not guarantee that you will receive clemency from the President of the United States.

You do not need to be a resident of Washington, D.C. to apply for a letter of recommendation, but you must have been convicted of violating a D.C. law or regulation.

Clemency includes two forms of relief: pardons and commutations.

A pardon essentially removes the conviction from your records and stops any remaining punishment.
- To apply for a pardon, you must have been released from confinement for at least five (5) years. If no prison sentence was imposed, there must have been at least five (5) years since between the date of your conviction and the date when you submit this application with the Clemency Board.
A commutation reduces a sentence, fine, or other punishment. If you are in prison now, you can only apply for a commutation.

How to Submit an Application for a Letter of Recommendation:You must provide a complete application to receive a letter of recommendation from the Clemency Board. A complete application includes a correctly filled clemency board application form and the necessary releases so the Clemency Board may have access to your criminal, civil, medical, and/or any other records that are relevant to the Clemency Board’s processing of your application.

You can submit an application: (1) online at clemency.dc.gov, (2) by downloading the application form and releases from clemency.dc.gov and emailing the completed form, releases and supporting documentation to or (3) by downloading the application form and releases from clemency.dc.gov and submitting the completed forms and supporting documentation by mail to the following address:

Executive Office of the Mayor

Mayor’s Office of General Counsel

Attn: Clemency Board

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 300

Washington, DC 20004

As you begin completing your application it is important to carefully read all instructions within the application. The application is simple and all questions require a response in order to be processed by the Clemency Board.

Once you have completed the application form and signed all the required forms, you will have the opportunity to upload any additional information which may be helpful for the Clemency Board to review with your application for a letter of recommendation, such as supporting and background documentation about your conviction(s), rehabilitation and/or remorse. For applicants who currently have a pending clemency application with the DOJ-Pardon, please include a copy of that application as an attachment, if you have a copy. If you are submitting this application online through the Clemency Board’s website, please note you can add attachments by selecting the paper clip icon on the top left of the application window.

We encourage you to have all your documentation ready for uploading before you begin the online application. Please keep in mind that you can save your application and complete it at a later time, but in order to do this you will need create an account with your email address. Once you have completed your application you will need to select the “Submit and Sign” button located at the bottom right of the screen for final submittal. We thank you for your patience as we launch this new process. If you have any questions or if you are experiencing any technical difficulties with your application, please send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,

The Clemency Board

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