Outgoing Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards Pardons 56 Inmates

The outgoing governor of Louisiana has pardoned 56 inmates since October of this year, including dozens of convicted murderers.

With a staggering 1,094 people per 100,000 in some form of incarceration, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has made reducing the state’s grossly over-populated prisons a top priority of his final term in office.

“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 told Louisiana news outlet NOLA.com this week.

“We’ve never been made safer as a result of that,” Edwards said. “There is no data to suggest that an increase in crime here was because of the reforms.”

Others released by Edwards include inmates convicted of arson, robbery, and drug dealing, according to a complete list compiled by local outlet Fox 8.

A total of 40 convicted murderers have been pardoned by Edwards in the past three months.

Released inmates had also been convicted of aggravated arson, possession of Schedule II narcotics, aggravated kidnapping, theft, first-degree robbery, perjury and armed robbery.

In December alone, Edwards pardoned five inmates convicted of first-degree murder and eleven convicted of second-degree murder.

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