Cuomo grants Christmas clemency to 21 people including women locked up for killing abusive partners

Christmas clemency for women convicted of murder and manslaughter

Andrew Cuomo granted clemency to 21 people on Christmas Eve.  (Getty Images)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo granted clemency to 21 people on Christmas Eve, including two women who killed their abusive partners while defending themselves.

26-year-old Maria Ordonez was convicted of manslaughter after she stabbed her boyfriend who was beating and choking her. After serving six years of a nine-year sentence, she received a commutation from the governor. After a childhood that was filled with "abuse and neglect," she took part in "vocational training and computer repair and has taken college courses" during her time in custody. She received positive judgements for her efforts from her professors and work supervisors. When she's released she plans to live with her mum and brother.

14 out of the 21 clemencies were full pardons and 11 of those pardons will aid the recipients' ability to remain in the US. Four of the pardons will help the recipients to become US citizens and six of the pardons were granted to parents of US citizens. Many of the non-citizen recipients have lived in the US for several decades.

A statement from the office of the governor said that the people who were granted clemency had shown "substantial evidence of remorse, rehabilitation and a commitment to the community".

Theresa Debo had no history of previous crimes when she was convicted of murder in 2006 for shooting and killing her boyfriend. Archives from The Syracuse Post Standard say that the 64-year-old was afraid she might die when her boyfriend erupted while drunk. The governor's statement says that Ms Debo grew up in an "abusive family environment", that she was placed in foster care and that she "cycled in and out of abusive relationships throughout her adult life". She served 16 years of a 22-year-sentence before having her sentence commuted.

Mr Cuomo said that the law should be "just, as well as compassionate" and that the clemencies "are another step toward a more fair and a more empathetic New York".

Rosario Pena was convicted of theft and attempted robbery in 1981 and 1986 after being forced to commit the crimes by sex traffickers. The statement from the office of the governor said that "After a childhood marred by abuse, homelessness and years of victimization by traffickers," the 61-year-old has now been on the right side of the law for 34 years. Her pardon will allow her to "remain in the United States, where she has lived for more than 50 years".

According to the statement, one of the commutation recipients will be deported upon release. 55-year-old Jacinto Cedeno was convicted of criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance in 1996 and has served 15 years of his 38.5-year to 50-year sentence. "He will be deported to the Dominican Republic, his home country and will be reunited with his family," the statement said.

The US criminal justice system controls almost seven million people, 2.3 million of which are incarcerated. 3.6 million are on probation and another 840 000 are on parole, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. "Every year, over 600,000 people enter prison gates, but people go to jail 10.6 million times each year," prisonpolicy.org writes. According to a 2018 report, the US has 698 incarcerated people per 100 000 inhabitants. That puts America on top of the global list.

Clifton Williamson was convicted of murder despite not being the one who pulled the trigger. He was also convicted of criminal possession of a controlled substance. The 43-year-old committed the crimes when he was 18 years old and has served 25 years in prison. His sentence was commuted by Governor Cuomo. After an abusive upbringing, he was made homeless at age 17. While in custody, Mr Williamson earned several degrees, started a tutoring programme and co-founded a theatre group. He also competed against debate teams from Harvard, Brown, and Vermont University.