More than 450 Oklahoma inmates released in largest commutation in U.S. history

Gov. Kevin Stitt.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

More than 450 nonviolent inmates were released from prisons in Oklahoma on Monday, part of the largest mass commutation in U.S. history.

On Friday, Oklahoma commuted the sentences of 527 inmates, and all but 65 walked free on Monday; the inmates still in prison have detainers and will be released later, CNN reports. State lawmakers said their goal is to reduce overcrowding in prisons and help low-level offenders learn skills that will help them with life on the outside. "Now is the first day of the rest of your life," Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) told inmates on Monday. "We really want you to have a successful future."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.