Gov. Kay Ivey appoints Kim Davidson to Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles

Gov. Kay Ivey Tuesday appointed Kim Davidson, a Vestavia Hills attorney, to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Davidson will take the seat previously held by Dwayne Spurlock, a former federal probation officer, who retired from the Board in November.

“It is an honor to become part of this team, and I am looking forward to working with fellow Board members,” Davidson said in a statement released by Ivey’s office. “I am genuinely committed to leaving a positive impact on people I serve by making careful and informed decisions focusing on public safety, offender accountability and victims’ rights.”

Davidson graduated from Birmingham School of Law and became a member of the Alabama State Bar Association in 1996.

The other board members are chair Leigh Gwathney, a former prosecutor, and Daryl Littleton, a former Alabama state trooper and executive security officer.

The Board decides whether to grant parole to those incarcerated in Alabama’s prison, and whether to grant pardons to formerly incarcerated people seeking to have their rights restored.

Applicants seeking a pardon or parole need the support of at least two of the three board members. With the board operating with one vacancy since November, applicants needed unanimous support to prevail.

Parole grants have dropped precipitously since Gov. Kay Ivey and the Legislature approved changes to the board in 2019, after the mistaken release of an inmate who was later charged with killing three people, including a 7-year-old. Parole grants fell from 31% of applicants in 2019 to 10% last year.