Hochul grants clemency to 22

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Gov. Kathy Hochul granted clemency to 22 people on December 19, with one sentence commuted and the rest pardoned. She has granted clemency to 94 people in total since taking office in 2021.

The pardons targeted those who'd lived crime-free for over a decade—sometimes multiple decades. Hochul's office said she focused on individuals who showed that they were rehabilitated, dedicated to bettering themselves and their communities, and remorseful.

Indeed, at a press conference on December 18, a reporter asked Hochul whether she'd consider pardoning incoming Pres. Donald Trump for his hush money conviction. “There is a pardoning process,” she replied. “It requires a couple of elements. One is remorse.”

The pardons aimed to address problems—like being blacklisted from jobs or housing—lingering after having completing their sentences. Some of the individuals granted clemency still had to deal with issues stemming from past convictions even after moving out of state.

The only commutation went to 57-year-old Trevers Jackson, serving a 25-years-to-life sentence for enterprise corruption and burglary charges since 2004. His shortened sentence lets him seek parole sooner.

When announcing the pardons, Hochul called attention to reforms in the process, like forming a Clemency Advisory Panel made up of impartial experts. Her office also pointed out that she dedicated more staff to manage the process and introduced an online hub for applicants.

Many of those granted clemency faced outdated mandatory minimum sentences during the '80s and '90s. Because such laws disproportionately affected Black and Latino communities, reform advocates criticized the scope of Hochul's clemency. With nearly 1,600 clemency applications pending, the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign (RAPP) said that the governor should do more.

“We are disappointed that, with more than 32,000 New Yorkers in state prison, Governor Hochul was only able to identify one person worthy of a commutation," said Jose DiLenola, RAPP's clemency campaign director. "That says more about her ability to do her job, which includes clemency, than it does about the many great people behind bars.”

RAPP called for the governor to grant clemencies more often and for more transparency, and pushed for broader protections for immigrants who could be deported after serving their time. They argued that pardons promote public safety.