Patrick Nominates 4 To Overhauled Parole Board

Gov. Deval Patrick on Friday named four people to fill vacancies on the state Parole Board.

The vacancies were created following the resignation of five board members earlier this year. Patrick pressured the five to resign after police say a 2008 parolee, Dominic Cinelli, shot and killed Woburn police officer John Maguire during a department store robbery.

Patrick said on Friday the nominees will help "rebuild the public's confidence in the parole system."

The four nominees are: John Bocon, a former U.S. chief probation officer; Dr. Charlene Bonner, a forensic psychologist; Ina Howard-Hogan; general counsel to the Parole Board; and Lucy Soto-Abbe, a victims advocate.

The governor said his nominees would bring a range of experiences and points of view to the board.

"I've had some very candid conversations with them about my expectations that they will lean on each other and learn from the different perspectives they bring, and I think they understand that not just I, but the general public, is watching them very very closely," he said.

The nominations for the seven-member board must be approved by the Governor's Council.

The council last month confirmed, by a 5-3 vote, Patrick's nomination to head the revamped board, Josh Wall.

Earlier: