A Feel-Good Story From Our Backyard

Earlier this month, a group of law students from the University of California, Irvine did something special: they won the release of an elderly inmate based on the law of compassionate release.

That is not easy to do. Before a recent new law, it was nearly impossible, and even now, it’s exceedingly rare.

But the man had already served thirty years in prison for a non-violent drug crime that would not receive the same sentence today, and he had amassed a strong record of rehabilitation. Even the judge who had sentenced him supported his release. Still, we bet it took a lot of work to get there.

Congratulations to the students and director of the law school’s Criminal Justice Clinic.