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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday granted clemency to two women who have long been imprisoned at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
Suzanne Mills and Patty Butterfield were released from prison April 10, Liz Merah, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, told WW.
Mills and Butterfield, 74, both applied for clemency nearly two years ago, in May 2018. They were two of 86 inmates to apply that year. WW reported extensively on Butterfield's case last summer.
Butterfield was incarcerated for killing her boyfriend over two decades ago after he abused her multiple times, WW previously reported. She later came to regret that decision, telling WW: "Chuck didn't deserve to die."
At Coffee Creek, Butterfield was never disciplined or cited for bad behavior, WW previously reported. She also worked as a hospice volunteer at the facility's infirmary, and received letters of support from other women in prison, volunteers and friends and family.
It is unclear if the governor's decision to commute Butterfield and Mills' sentences at this point in time was connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in the past week, dozens of advocates have asked the governor to give clemency to Oregon prisoners amid fears the state's facilities will soon become hot spots for COVID-19.
The Oregonian reported April 9 that the governor was considering granting parole to some offenders, and that over 3,000 inmates fall into potential early release categories.
"Gov. Brown believes that granting clemency is an extraordinary act that should be reserved for individuals who have made incredible changes and who are dedicated to making their communities better," Merah said in a statement to WW. "She evaluates clemency applications on a case-by-case basis and considers a variety of factors about the applicant's history and case when making those decisions. Information is provided from law enforcement, prosecutors and prison officials during the review process.