Check out this piece in the New Republic which looks at how (shamefully) few Democratic governors pardon or commute the sentences of prisoners, even though it is in their power to do so. The article takes full aim at Jerry Brown, leaving office today.
While the TNR gives Brown full credit for pardoning at least 1,332 prisoners since 2011, “quadrupling the number issued by the preceding four governors combined,” it does point out that Brown has ignored the 739 men and women on death row.
“While he has shown pardons to be a powerful tool for criminal justice reformers, he has left plenty of work for his successor to do,” the piece says.
We hope Governor Gavin Newsom will pick up that dropped baton.
Read the full article here.