The Pandemic Spurred Governors to Grant Clemency, But Advocates Say It Isn’t Enough Despite sentencing reforms, hundreds of thousands of people who have been incarcerated over the last several decades are ineligible for parole. Rachel M. Cohen
California Governor Commutes Sentence of Abuse Survivor, Grants Clemency to Several Others Advocates have been urging Governor Gavin Newsom to make greater use of his clemency power, especially for older prisoners who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Meg O'Connor, Joshua Vaughn
Virginia Bans Mental Health Evidence in Trials. Lawmakers Could Soon Change This Proposed legislation would allow people accused of crimes to tell juries if they had a mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, or an intellectual or developmental disability at the time of a crime. The bill could have helped individuals like Matthew Rushin. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Biden Must Fix The Broken Executive Clemency Process. This Is Who He Should Select To Lead That Effort. Rachel Barkow, a respected legal scholar, expert on executive clemency, and former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia would be an ideal choice to start and lead a powerful new program inside the Biden White House. Emily Galvin-Almanza
Nearly 200 Pardons Languish on Pennsylvania Governor’s Desk The state Board of Pardons recommended last year that hundreds of people’s criminal records be cleared. Months later, more than half are still waiting for Tom Wolf’s signature. Joshua Vaughn
A Rarely Used Power Could Free Prisoners in Pennsylvania. But the Governor Is Not Using It. The Office of General Counsel determined that the governor could likely use reprieves to release vulnerable people from prison to control COVID-19’s spread, but the office is advising against it, according to internal emails obtained by The Appeal. Joshua Vaughn
Illinois pardons are a reminder of the scale of marijuana arrests, past and present Vaidya Gullapalli
Misplaced Outrage Over Kentucky Governor’s Pardons Harms Criminal Justice Reform Sensational headlines may score short-term partisan points, but long term they contribute to a toxic culture of Willie Hortonism. Adam H. Johnson
Justice in America Episode 18: What Happened to Clemency? Josie and Clint talk to NYU law professor Rachel Barkow about presidential pardon powers. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
California Governor Jerry Brown is Fighting Trump With Pardons. Will Other Governors Follow Suit? The departing governor has chosen to pardon immigrants whose past criminal offenses put them in danger of deportation. Melissa Gira Grant
