Another Chance: Analyzing Life-without-Parole Commutation Request Narratives

• In Event: Prison Legacies from the Past & Present

Abstract

A commutation provides an opportunity for someone serving a life-without-parole (LWOP) sentence to potentially be released from prison. While LWOP sentences have been rarely reduced during the tough-on-crime era, California governors have recently become more favorable to commuting these sentences. The most recent gubernatorial executive clemency reports reveal that 169 individuals were granted a commutation of an LWOP sentence between 2018 and 2022. This article centers the commutation application letters, which are published on the governor’s official website. The narrative analysis identifies five different themes on how applicants describe their path toward redemption. As a whole, the letters illustrate the challenges of serving an LWOP sentence and also provide insight into the social and political context in which these sentences have been received and served.

Author

• Doris Schartmueller, California State University, Chico