Appointments to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB) are once again facing criticism after Governor JB Pritzker added two new members to the state’s parole and release board last month.

On August 29, Governor Pritzker appointed Timothy Nugent and Tracy Buckley as the newest, yet-to-be-confirmed members of the Prisoner Review Board. Nugent, who served as mayor of Manteno, supported Pritzker’s efforts to secure zoning for a controversial Chinese battery manufacturing company. Buckley, a former chief of operations and administrator for the board, served during a period when the PRB itself faced intense criticism.

The Prisoner Review Board is responsible for deciding whether individuals, often convicted of serious crimes, should be granted release. Despite persistent criticism from Senate Republicans over the qualifications of its members and Governor Pritzker’s refusal to bring those members before the General Assembly for confirmation, the board, under the Governor’s authority, has approved significantly more releases than previous administrations, including several high-profile cases involving convicted murderers.

In June, Gov. Pritzker also signed Senate Bill 19 into law, making sweeping changes to the PRB, including extending member terms from six to eight years.

Senate Republicans, who opposed SB 19, warned that the Governor is more interested in protecting his appointees from accountability than in ensuring transparency. They argued that the focus should be on keeping violent criminals behind bars, not shielding appointees from oversight.