USPC NEWS United States Parole Commission July 22, 2004

Edward F. Reilly

I am extremely pleased to announce that on July 7, 2004, Deborah A. Spagnoli was sworn in as Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission. Commissioner Spagnoli comes to the Commission from the Department of Justice, where she served as a Special Assistant advising the Community Oriented Policing Services Office (COPS) as to policy development, grant-making strategies, compliance with Administration goals and policies, and liaison activities with state, local and tribal law enforcement and their representative national organizations.

Prior to her service at the Department of Justice, Commissioner Spagnoli spent two and one half years in the White House as a Special Assistant to the President. At the White House, she was the Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, where she advised the President as to matters pertaining to the nation's Governors, Mayors, Legislators, and Attorneys General. After September 11, 2001, Commissioner Spagnoli was involved in the coordination of federal, state, and local strategies for Homeland Security, and assisted in the development of the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council's "Statewide Template Initiative."

Commissioner Spagnoli graduated with distinction from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and the University of California, Davis. She is a member of the California and District of Columbia Bar Associations. We look forward to working with Commissioner Spagnoli, and we know that she will be a great asset to the Commission.

At the same time, it is with regret that I must tell you that Commissioner John R. Simpson retired from the Commission in June. After over 40 years of public service, Commissioner Simpson has certainly earned the right to some time off. Commissioner Simpson served his country with great dedication and distinction in the United States Army; the Secret Service, where he also served as Director; and as a Parole Commissioner. It has been an honor to serve with Commissioner Simpson. No one who has served on the Commission has ever worked harder or given more thought to the responsibilities that come with being a Parole Commissioner. The Nation owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Commissioner Simpson for the service he has given his country.

I am pleased to announce that the Parole Commission will hold its next Public Forum on parole policies affecting District of Columbia prisoners on Saturday, September 25, 2004 in the Activity Room of the Shepard Park Library, 7420 Georgia Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. The Public Forum, which will last from 10:00 until noon, is intended to acquaint the community with the policies and procedures affecting the parole and supervision of persons living in the District of Columbia who have been convicted of federal and District of Columbia crimes. Representatives of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency of the District of Columbia and the Federal Bureau of Prisons will also participate in the Public Forum. Nancy Ware, the Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the District of Columbia, will once again moderate the Forum.

The previous Public Forum in March of this year was well attended and raised several thought-provoking issues. The Public Forums give members of the community a chance to find out how the Parole Commission carries out these responsibilities in cooperation with other agencies, such as the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Every effort is made to answer all questions directed to the Commission, and answers to questions from all of the Forums that do not concern a specific individual are posted on the Commission's webpage (www.usdoj.gov/uspc). I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in the Commission's activities to attend the forum.

On May 18, I was honored at the Annual Spring Banquet of the Kansas Society of Washington, D.C. as Kansan of the Year. The presentation was made by Senator Sam Brownback. I was honored to join a list of other distinguished Kansans who have received the award over the past forty years, including President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Honorable Robert Dole, and the Honorable Nancy Landon Kassebaum, as well as renowned sports figures John Riggins and George Brett.

This is a time of change here at the Commission, but it is also a time of opportunity. Over the next several months, the Commission will continue to promote efforts that assist offenders returning to the community and to responsibly discharge our responsibilities to protect the public while administering justice fairly. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions for achieving these ends.