Gov. Parson issues 17 more pardons, 1 commutation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday announced he had issued pardons for 17 people and commutated the prison sentence of one person.

The governor's office said it would provide information on who was affected by the decisions after their families are notified.

In February, Parson issued 15 pardons and commuted the sentences of two inmates. And in December, he granted 24 pardons and commuted the sentences of three prior drug offenders to house arrest.

Parson's office said he has reduced the number of pending clemency applications to 3,250 from nearly 3,700 in December. His office inherited the thousands of applications when Parson became governor in 2018.