Clemency & Parole

The California Constitution gives the Governor the authority to 

  • Review parole recommendations made by the Board of Parole Hearings. Click here for information about the Governor’s parole review process. 
  • Grant clemency, which includes commutations of sentence and pardons. For information about clemency and application instructions and forms, see the Clemency Overview section below. 

You may submit input about parole and clemency issues and cases to Governor Newsom here: www.gov.ca.gov/contact/.  

The Governor’s Office encourages crime victims, survivors, and next-of-kin who seek information about clemency and parole to contact the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services (OVSRS) or call 1-877-256-6877 (toll free). Victims, survivors, and next-of-kin can register with OVSRS to receive support as well as updates about an incarcerated person’s status, and changes to a sentence and notice of parole hearings. 

Governor Newsom’s Executive Reports on Clemency

2023 Executive Report on Pardons, Commutations of Sentence, and Reprieves (View PDF)

2022 Executive Report on Pardons, Commutations of Sentence, and Reprieves (View PDF)

2021 Executive Report on Pardons, Commutations of Sentence, and Reprieves (View PDF)

2020 Executive Report on Pardons, Commutations of Sentence, and Reprieves (View PDF)

2019 Executive Report on Pardons, Commutations of Sentence, and Reprieves (View PDF)

For clemency reports issued by past administrations, please visit California Agency Reports  (Agency: Governor) or California State Archives.

Governor Newsom’s Executive Reports on Parole

2023 Executive Report on Parole Review Decisions (View PDF)

2022 Executive Report on Parole Review Decisions (View PDF)

2021 Executive Report on Parole Review Decisions (View PDF)

2020 Executive Report on Parole Review Decisions (View PDF)

2019 Executive Report on Parole Review Decisions (View PDF)

For parole reports issued by past Governors, please visit California Agency Reports  (Agency: “Governor”) or California State Archives.

CLEMENCY OVERVIEW

The California Constitution gives the Governor the authority to grant clemency, which includes commutations of sentence and pardons. 

  • Commutation of sentence: The Governor can reduce the sentence of an individual serving a sentence in a California prison. For the commutation application form and additional information, visit: www.gov.ca.gov/clemency/commutations
  • Pardon: A pardon provides relief from punishment and restores some civic rights for individuals who have been convicted of crimes in California and have completed their sentences. For the pardon application form and additional information, visit: www.gov.ca.gov/clemency/pardons

Clemency is an important part of the criminal justice system that can:

  • incentivize accountability and rehabilitation;
  • increase the safety of the people working and serving sentences in our jails and prisons;
  • increase public safety by removing counterproductive barriers to successful reentry; and
  • correct unjust results in the legal system.

The Governor is not required to consider an application and there is no set timeline for review. There is no court hearing and no application fee. You may apply for clemency without a lawyer. The Judicial Council of California provides clemency self-help information and the California State Bar offers referrals for no- and low-cost legal services

The Board of Parole Hearings provides additional information about the clemency process. Attorneys may contact the Office of the State Public Defender for technical assistance on parole and clemency matters.