Ohio Governor DeWine's Expedited Pardon Project Surpasses 300 Pardons
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that his Expedited Pardon Project has now granted over 300 pardons since its inception in 2019. The program aims to assist individuals with low-level criminal records who have demonstrated exemplary, law-abiding lives for decades following their convictions. To date, Governor DeWine has personally signed 323 expedited pardons, with more than 340 additional individuals actively pursuing pardons through the initiative. The project provides free legal assistance and streamlines the pardon application process, fast-tracking requests for consideration by the Ohio Parole Board before they reach the governor's desk. A significant development since the program's creation is a change in Ohio law, which now allows the governor to automatically seal the records of those who receive a pardon. Governor DeWine emphasized that a criminal record imposes lifelong restrictions, and those who have genuinely reformed deserve a second chance to achieve their full potential.
