Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the U.S. and it has maintained the top spot for over a decade. To reduce the state’s prison population, outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issued 56 pardons. Of those pardoned, 40 are convicted murderers.
The pardons were issued as the Democratic governor prepares to leave office in January, with the potential for more pardons to come in Edwards’ last two weeks on the job.
Louisiana, which has been dubbed the “prison capital of the world,” has grappled with high incarceration rates for years, and Edwards campaigned on easing the state’s burden.
“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,” Edwards said. “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.”
While many supporters see the high incarceration rate as a problem, critics have said the real issue is who the governor is pardoning.
Of the 40 murderers who have received pardons from the governor, 11 were convicted in the first degree.
Nick Charles Nicholson fatally stabbed a convenience store worker 39 times. Ricky Washington fatally shot a grocery store owner during an armed robbery. Keith Elmon Messiah fatally shot a man in the face in a Popeye’s Chicken parking lot during an armed robbery.
Nicholson, Washington and Messiah were sentenced to life in prison without parole. Others who were pardoned faced similar sentences for comparable crimes.
According to the Louisiana Department of Corrections, Nicholson is already listed as “out of custody.” The status of the remaining 56 inmates granted pardons remains unclear, including whether they have been released or when they will be released.
Gov. Edwards reached his term limit after serving for eight years. In January, Republican state attorney general Jeff Landry will take his place as Louisiana’s governor.
