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A new report from the Riverfront Times puts the disparity in stark contrast: While Missouri inmates on average spend less than four years in prison, some of the state’s nonviolent drug offenders are still serving decades-long, no-parole terms. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske spoke with the RFT's Danny Wicentowski and Republican state Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch, and heard from two men who recently had their sentences commuted by Gov. Mike Parson.
Jason Norman entered prison in 2004 for charges related to a DIY meth lab. He served more time than the average sentence for a violent felony or sex crime.
It was December 21, 2020, and things were finally looking up for Jason Norman. The 45-year-old inmate was settling in at his new home in the Algoa Correctional Center, a minimum-security state prison on the outskirts of the capital in Jefferson City. His recent move from the state prison in Boonville meant more than a change in scenery: He d been selected to join the prestigious inmate trustees who worked in the governor s official residence, an opulent Victorian mansion overlooking the Missouri River, just a few minutes drive from the prison. Being a trustee involved a rigorous selection process, and if chosen, Norman would earn $2 an hour.
Jason Rosenbaum / St. Louis Public Radio
Originally published on December 23, 2020 5:48 pm
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday released the names of 24 inmates he has chosen to pardon and the four whose sentences he’s commuted.
Parson’s office announced he was pardoning inmates on Monday but did not release the names of the individuals, citing privacy and the need to ensure families were notified first.
In a press release, Parson said that the 24 individuals have “demonstrated a change in lifestyle” and that the official pardon documents had been filed.
“This is the time of year for forgiveness,” Parson. “There must be serious consequences for criminal behavior, but when individuals demonstrate a changed lifestyle and a commitment to abandoning the ways of their past, they should be able to redeem themselves in the eyes of the law.”
On Monday, December 21, Governor Mike Parson granted 24 pardons and four commutes to individuals who have demonstrated a changed lifestyle and desire to move on from past behaviors.
Governor Parson says, “If we are to be a society that believes in forgiveness and second chances, then it is the next chapter in these individuals’ lives that will matter most. We are encouraged and hopeful that these individuals will take full advantage of this opportunity.”
These are the first pardons granted by Governor Parson pursuant the authority granted him by the Missouri Constitution, Article IV, Section 7. Official pardon documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and are being sent to the individuals.