In a recent
Department of Justice press release, dated July 15, 2015, it was announced President Barack Obama has designated
J. Patricia Wilson Smoot as of the
U.S. Parole Commission effective May 29, 2015.
Chairman Smoot, who has served as Acting Chairman since the retirement of former Chairman Isaac Fulwood on Jan. 30, 2015, was appointed to the U.S. Parole Commission by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 16, 2010.
While at the Commission, Chairman Smoot has spearheaded the USPC Mental Health Docket. The USPC Mental Health Docket was established in 2012 as an alternative to incarceration for low-risk, non-violent offenders with mental health disorders and/or co-occurring disorders. Through collaborative efforts with Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Department of Behavioral Health and Public Defender Service, a multidisciplinary team was formed in an effort to provide swift assistance and administrative sanctions for the targeted population. To date, the USPC Mental Health Docket has connected a multitude of male and female offenders to in-patient and outpatient treatment services, as well as job training and mentoring programs. Additionally, Chairman Smoot also served for several months as Acting General Counsel for the agency.
Before her appointment, Chairman Smoot served as Deputy State's Attorney for Prince George's County, Maryland, one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in the State of Maryland. She was appointed to the position in 2002. As part of her duties, Chairman Smoot oversaw the Sex Offense and Child Abuse Unit, the Domestic Violence Unit, the Juvenile Division and the District Court Division, while serving as an advisor to the state’s attorney.
Read the entire press release here: Justice.gov
We live in a country where instead of properly treating our mentally ill,
we often throw them in prison due to lack of mental health facilities/funding. Once released, without proper care, it's only days before many end up back behind bars. The fact that Chairperson Smoot has a background advocating for the mental ill, President Obama's decision to bring her on is yet another tremendously encouraging step forward for America.