Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is granting pardons at a pace not seen since the World War II era. Parson has granted more than 600 pardons in the past three years, which is more than any Missouri governor since the early 1940s. The Republican is a former sheriff who once was the face of justice in rural Polk County. He is now also the face of mercy. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin also has set a state record for the number of pardons. The governors are part of a movement toward restoring people’s rights after they have completed their criminal sentences.
