Blunt names parole board chair

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Blunt named a corrections official as chairman for the state parole board Tuesday.

Blunt appointed Steve Long, 54, as a member and leader of the state Probation and Parole Board.

The seven-member board decides whether inmates should be released from prison and monitors those on probation or parole. It also recommends whether to spare someone from execution, though that final decision lies with the governor.

Long replaces and would finish the term of William Seibert, who resigned in May. A corrections spokesman said Seibert was pursuing another job.

Blunt appointed Seibert to the board last year, and elevated him to chairman in February.

Long has worked since 1975 for the state Department of Corrections in various jobs. Since October, he has been director of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services.

The term for Long, a Republican from St. Thomas, would run through late August 2012. Like most appointments by the governor, his nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.