More than 300 people have now received pardons through Gov. Mike DeWine’s expedited pardon initiative, according to the governor’s office.
DeWine announced Tuesday that he has signed expedited pardons for 323 people through the Ohio Governor’s Expedited Pardon Project. More than 340 additional people are actively working toward an expedited pardon.
DeWine created the program in 2019 to assist people with relatively low-level criminal records who have led what the governor’s office describes as exemplary, law-abiding lives in the decades following their convictions.
“A criminal record comes with a lifetime of restrictions, but I believe those who’ve truly reformed their lives deserve a second chance to live up to their full potential — and that second chance starts with a pardon,” DeWine said in a statement.
The program provides qualifying applicants with free legal assistance and a simplified application process. Pardon requests submitted through the program are fast-tracked for consideration by the Ohio Parole Board before ultimately going to the governor.
Applicants must meet program requirements and cannot have been convicted of certain disqualifying offenses. People who do not qualify for the expedited program may still seek a pardon through Ohio’s traditional application process.
The governor’s office said state law has also changed since the program was created to allow the governor to automatically seal the records of people who receive a pardon. Those pardoned before September 2021 may also take steps to have their records sealed.
The project operates in collaboration with the governor’s office, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, several Ohio law schools and other legal organizations.
