Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2002
Head of Paroling Authority removed because of probe
By Robbie Dingeman and Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writers
With just 10 days left in office, Gov. Ben Cayetano yesterday removed Alfred Beaver Sr. as head of the Hawai'i Paroling Authority.
An investigation into Beaver's on-the-job conduct prompted the governor to place Beaver on paid leave.
Cayetano provided no details of the allegations against Beaver and said the internal affairs office of the state Department of Public Safety is heading the investigation.
Internal affairs investigators are examining an unusual effort by Beaver to commute the prison sentence of a man convicted last year of armed robbery, The Advertiser reported last week.
In that case, Beaver ordered his staff to prepare a request to commute the sentence of prison inmate Chad Wilderman, who was convicted last year of using a semiautomatic handgun in the commission of a robbery, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the request.
Normally, other agencies would review such a request. Under his current sentence, Wilderman is ineligible for parole consideration until he has served at least 10 years in prison. Further, such requests are processed only for those serving life sentences and have been in prison at least 20 years.
Beaver was not available to comment despite several attempts to reach him yesterday.
Beaver "is presumed innocent of any alleged wrongdoing, but the allegations are serious enough to warrant a full and thorough investigation," Cayetano said. Cayetano said Beaver also must cooperate with the investigation.
Tommy Johnson, executive director of the Paroling Authority, said those in the agency, including Beaver's colleagues on the three-member parole board, Lani Rae Garcia and Mary Tiwanak, were asked to defer questions about Cayetano's decision to Public Safety Director Ted Sakai.
Sakai said that Beaver was informed Thursday of the decision and did not report to work yesterday.
"The governor really wants us to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible," Sakai said. "There's no time frame but we are working very hard to conclude it as expeditiously as possible."
Beaver, 59, will not be reporting to work but will be available if the paroling authority or the public safety director needs to contact him, Cayetano said.
Both Cayetano and Sakai end their administration term Dec. 2, when Gov.-elect Linda Lingle is sworn in.
Beaver has developed a get-tough reputation by imposing stricter rules from 1997 that returned more parole violators to prison. His stance was cited as a factor when the prison population grew by nearly 1,000 inmates — the largest percentage increase in any prison system in the nation.
Sakai said the work of the paroling authority will continue as the other two members on the board have the authority to proceed.
"Mary Tiwanak will serve as acting chairperson," Sakai said. "They agreed that the work has to be done."
Beaver was an interim appointment to the authority in 1997 before being nominated by Cayetano and then approved by the state Senate for a four-year term in 1998. He received confirmation for a three-year term in 2001 which is to run out on June 30, 2004. Authority members are limited to eight consecutive years.
The position of authority chairman pays between $72,886 and $77,966 annually. The other two members are volunteers.
Beaver is also Nanakuli High School's football coach.
