Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) pardoned 56 inmates since October, 40 of whom are convicted murderers.
Edwards told a local news outlet, “For as long as I can remember, Louisiana reflexively responded to an increase in crime by putting more people in prison and keeping them there longer.”
“We’ve never been made safer as a result of that. There is no data to suggest that an increase in crime here was because of the reforms.”
This month, Edwards pardoned five inmates convicted of first-degree murder, Fox News reported.
Eleven others were convicted of second-degree murder.
Other inmates who have been pardoned were convicted of arson, aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery, and perjury.
