Governor Recommends Seven Pardons as Part of Effort to Reform State Clemency Process

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey recommended pardoning seven people convicted of crimes decades ago ranging from drug possession to arson.
The pardons must be approved by the Governor's Council, an eight-member body that vets judicial nominations and grants clemency.
Healey said the seven individuals were fully vetted and had been convicted of crimes years ago at a young age.
Healey is working to revise clemency guidelines to take into account factors like racial disparities and brain development in young people.
The proposed pardons are believed to be the most by a first-year governor in 40 years and are meant to modernize the state's clemency process.