Clemency dynamics in Arizona and nationwide

Over the holiday period last year, the papers and this blog were buzzing about the modern disuse of the historic executive clemency powers (see some of the posts at this archive).  Today, this article from Arizona provides interesting data and discussion of the decline of clemency in that state, and the article is especially effective in documenting the forces which account for this decline in Arizona and nationwide.  Here’s the lead:

Arizona governors are largely ignoring advice from the state’s clemency board, leaving hundreds of prisoners serving time that the board has said doesn’t fit their crimes.

A decade ago, Arizona abolished parole, leaving the governor with the final say if any inmates should be let out of prison early.  Since then, the number of inmates recommended to the governor for shortened prison terms by the Board of Executive Clemency has skyrocketed.  But in the vast majority of cases, even in those where the trial judge agrees with the board that a sentence is too long, the governor has rejected the board’s recommendations.