Colorado Gov. Jared Polis rejects tribalism by granting Tina Peters clemency (Letters)

Tina Peters is a non-violent 70-year-old offender, a Denver Post reader writes.

Was Polis wrong in Peters’ clemency reasoning?

Re: “Governor censured for Peters clemency,” May 21 news story

Letter to the Editor – The Denver Post
May 24, 2026

The base of the Democratic Party is outraged over the governor’s decision to commute the sentence of Tina Peters. Peters, of course, is a non-violent 70-year-old offender, and the chances of her repeating the behavior are probably minimal.

Why was there so little concern expressed about his decision to commute the sentences for violent and repeat offenders? Where was the unified outrage when Gov. Jared Polis vetoed labor law reform, environmental legislation and wage theft legislation? And that is a short list of what was once considered the core values of the Democratic Party.

I understand the governor’s reasoning on all the decisions, but calling the Peters case his “legacy” tells us a lot about the state of our politics. Public policy decisions always need to strive for middle ground, and those leadership decisions often referred to as arrogant can just as easily be called principled leadership. Let me remind your readers that most offenders serve their time in community corrections, not jails or prisons. Most inmates are released to community corrections from prisons. Their response to supervision is a critical factor. Many offenders even choose incarceration over community supervision requirements.

The primary purpose of long prison sentences is to protect the public, but the preservation of power and revenge dominated this controversy. Both parties have weaponized the justice system. Let’s de-escalate tribalism.

And remember, there are four sides to every story. My side, your side, the truth and politics.

Timothy D. Allport, Arvada