Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday granted 220 additional pardons, pushing his total to 2,027 and marking his 2,000th since taking office.
Evers, a Democrat, has now far surpassed the previous state record for pardons issued by a single governor. His predecessor, Republican Scott Walker, issued none during his eight years in office.
“These 2,000 individuals have tried to put in the work to rebuild their lives and move beyond their past offenses, making amends, volunteering in their communities, building their careers, and even mentoring others on how to do the same and avoid their past mistakes,” Evers said in a statement.
On Thursday, Evers marked his 2,691st day as Governor of Wisconsin. His 2,027 pardons translates to about one granted every 32 hours.
Last month, Evers signed two executive orders reinstating Wisconsin’s commutation process, which had not been used in more than 25 years. The move was met with immediate criticism, as those convicted of homicide—even first degree intentional homicide—are eligible to have their life sentences immediately ended.
