Green Bay Reporter

After granting 25 more pardons last week, Gov. Tony Evers has surpassed the 400 mark in pardons granted during his first three years. 

According to WMTV, Evers has granted 416 pardons to date, and his office told the station late last year that the governor has issued more pardons than any “contemporary Wisconsin governor." The station noted that Gov. Patrick Lucey, who served from 1971 to 1977, issued 457 pardons during his term, a mark Evers is on pace to surpass. 

“I’m proud to grant these 25 pardons today to recognize the hard work these folks have done in their communities and lives to make amends and give back to their communities,” Evers said in a press release issued by his office. “When we re-established the Pardon Advisory Board in 2019, we knew there were many folks worthy of a second chance who simply didn’t have the opportunity to apply for years. Now, we have surpassed more than 400 pardons in less than three years, and I look forward to continuing this critically important work.”

According to the news release, each of the applications met with the Governor’s Pardon Advisory Board virtually last month, and the applications that were tapped for expedited review or recommended by the panel were sent to Evers for his consideration. 

The 25 people who were selected for pardons were young when they were sentenced, ranging in age from 17 to 39. Since that time, they have worked on improving their lives by learning a trade or pursuing a college degree. 

According to the governor’s office release, the state constitution grants the governor the power to issue pardons to people convicted of a crime, and the pardon, an official act of forgiveness, restores rights lost when a person is convicted of a felony. The release noted that these rights can include the right to hold some professional licenses, serve in public office or on a jury.