Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has eliminated a backlog of more than 2,000 clemency requests he inherited from previous administrations. Rauner says acting on the requests is part of his effort to improve Illinois' criminal justice system and help people convicted of crimes go on to lead productive lives.
Most of the pardons Rauner granted were for non-violent crimes such as forgery, drugs or theft. The Republican granted about 80 pardons out of more 2,300 applications he's acted on since taking office in 2015.
Some requests dated to 2003. They piled up under now-imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who acted on roughly 1,000 cases in about six years.
Prisoner Review Board documents show Blagojevich's successor, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, acted on about 5,000 cases, granting more than one-third of those requests.
