On Monday, August 16, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, D, offered clemency at an expedited pace for hundreds of people with low-level drug convictions.Previously, Governor Inslee granted clemency to 129 convicts in the first round of the expedited program. The state’s Department of Corrections has been working to grant clemency to qualifying convicts under the state’s new law. However, the pandemic has created a significant backlog, which is why the governor’s program is necessary. 

“COVID has created countless challenges in our criminal justice system,” Governor Inslee said. “Though the State Supreme Court has invalidated the drug possession convictions of thousands of individuals, many of these individuals have not been able to get into court to have their convictions vacated and dismissed, even six months after the Supreme Court’s decision.”

New Process 

In February, the Washington State Supreme Court overturned a measure which previously legalized the possession of all drugs. Then, in May, Governor Inslee signed a bill which made possession illegal again. However, lawmakers had added certain provisions to help people recover and decrease their chances of a criminal record. 

The first two times a person becomes caught with illicit drugs, they will receive a health evaluation, which could lead to possible treatment. Any additional charges will result in a criminal record and arrest.

With the expedited clemency process launched, convicts on active community supervision can directly petition the governor. “I am committed to doing what I can to try to remedy the situation and assist the courts who are doing what they can to get through this backlog of cases,” Governor Inslee said in a press release. “I want to thank the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) and State Office of Public Defense (OPD) for stepping up to help me provide clemency relief to eligible petitioners.”

Next Steps

There are more than 1,200 convicts who qualify for clemency through the governor’s new expedited process. They can now begin their clemency process, helping them remove their criminal record for low-level drug possessions. This also frees up the DOC to focus on their own matters, moving other measures and pardons forward. Their backlog will significantly decrease and things could begin moving smoothly again. 

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