Perceptions can change quickly in politics. Just last week, Mississippi GOP Gov. Haley Barbour was criticized by civil rights groups for comments they deemed insensitive. But on Thursday, the NAACP complimented Barbour for suspending the sentences of Gladys and Jamie Scott, two sisters serving life terms for robbing a man at gunpoint,
The Hill reports.
The sisters had no prior record when they were convicted in 1993. For years the NAACP has sought their early release, saying they were the victims of racism.
"The Mississippi Department of Corrections believes the sisters no longer pose a threat to society. Their incarceration is no longer necessary for public safety or rehabilitation, and Jamie Scott's medical condition creates a substantial cost to the State of Mississippi," Barbour said in a statement.
"This is a shining example of how governors should use their commutation powers," NAACP President Ben Jealous tells The Washington Post.
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