Calif. governor’s commutation of murderers’ sentences sparks controversy
20 violent offenders will now be granted hearings
By Corrections1 Staff
LOS ANGELES — With about four months left in office, California Governor Jerry Brown recently commuted the life sentences of 20 convicted murderers, according to the Washington Post.
These, along with 1,100 pardons and 82 commutations over the past seven years, have established Brown as a champion of justice reform to some -- and “pro-offender” to others.
“The sad reality is, California is not a victim-friendly state, it’s an offender-friendly state,” founder and chief executive of the Crime Survivors Resource Center Patricia Wenskunas told the Post.
The commuted sentences may not be the “get out of jail free” cards that some detractors fear, however. With Brown’s commutations, the 20 offenders, whose sentences precluded the opportunity for parole, will be granted hearings.
“There has been an overshoot in the time many people expect [criminals] to be locked up in a cage or cell,” Brown told the Post. “I think there’s wisdom in having the possibility of hope.”
