Politics
Evers Grants 14 Commutations, Reviving a Wisconsin Power Unused for Decades
Gov. Tony Evers commuted the sentences of 14 incarcerated people and denied 10 others, the first use of the commutation power by a Wisconsin governor since Tommy Thompson. The decisions follow executive orders reviving a process that had been dormant for decades.
MADISON, Wis. â For the first time in decades, a Wisconsin governor has used the power to commute prison sentences. Gov. Tony Evers announced Friday that he granted commutations to 14 incarcerated individuals and denied applications from 10 others, according to a list released by his office.
The action marks the first commutations by a Wisconsin governor since Tommy Thompson held the office, restoring a tool that had gone unused for a generation. Evers signed two executive orders earlier this year reestablishing the state's commutation process, including Executive Order #287, which lays out the standards the state must apply.
A commutation is distinct from a pardon. While a pardon restores certain civil rights after a sentence is complete, a commutation can reduce a sentence someone is still serving. It does not automatically mean release: a grant may make a person eligible for supervised release or parole sooner, or take factors such as age into account.
Under the order, commutations are intended to reward incarcerated people who show personal growth and a commitment to change, giving them "the possibility of a second chance to contribute to society," according to the text of Executive Order #287. The order also frames the process as a way to encourage accountability and amends-making for harms done to victims and communities.
The Governor's Commutation Advisory Board, which includes people with backgrounds in law enforcement, criminal law and victim advocacy, reviewed applications and made recommendations. Under the order, the board weighs the impact on victims, survivors and community members; whether a commutation is consistent with public safety and the interests of justice; the applicant's prison conduct record; and evidence of rehabilitation, including treatment, education, programs and work history behind bars.
The board held public hearings on 24 individuals on Aug. 21 and Sept. 18 before forwarding its recommendations. Evers granted 14 of those requests and denied 10.
Those denied were Aaron Smith, Natalie Murphy, Christopher Sutton (Smith), Demian McDermott, Lawrence Northern, Mistye Doughty, Efrain Campos, Richard Sulla, Richard Perekovich and Yatau Her.
The governor's office said Evers has now issued more than 2,443 pardons during his tenure, more than any other Wisconsin governor. Pardons under the current process are available only to people who have completed their full sentence and been "off paper" for at least five years, and are not available to registered sex offenders or anyone with pending criminal cases or charges.
For communities across Wisconsin, the announcement signals a durable shift in how the state approaches second chances and prison sentences after years in which the commutation power sat idle. It also puts a public spotlight on the advisory board's balancing test â public safety, victim impact and rehabilitation â as the state begins processing future applications under the revived system.