With only four months left in office, California Governor Jerry Brown is busy commuting the sentences of more than 1,000 people convicted of a variety of crimes, including drug dealing, driving while intoxicated, and forgery.
Among those handed pardons by the outgoing governor are 20 people convicted of murder—and serving life sentences—according to the Mercury News.
Brown’s commutations for the 20 murder convicts were tucked into a larger batch of pardons and commutations that he handed out last month.
In addition to his pardons and commutations, the governor has approved parole for more than 2,000 individuals sentenced for murder.
Patricia Wenskunas—founder and chief executive of the Crime Survivors Resource Center—told the newspaper, "The sad reality is, California is not a victim-friendly state. It’s an offender-friendly state."