It is a good start.  Also the Monday announcement forces the media a way from the Nevada stand off.  One of the six prisoners that was pardoned in December was released last week in Tallahassee.  The coverage of her coming home was preempted because of the Bundy stand off.  I googled her home town paper but found pictures of her release in ACLU's newsletter.  I lived there when this trial was going on.  There were others in that county that also had unjust out comes to their trials about the same time.  This is a really big deal for communities of minorities and poor.  57% of the prisoners that are in Federal prisons are for non violent crimes. The state prisons have 17% that is for non violent crimes. That is a lot of people we have put away just to score points with racists to get votes.  We should start seeing the outcome of this in the fall and that will give minorities a reason to vote.  Everyone knows someone that is in jail for this in these communities.  

One other point, this give governors cover to reduce their populations in state prisons of non violent crimes.  The governors that cater to the teaparty types will find themselves under presser to do this for budget reasons.  They will also find their efforts to keep these communities from voting fruitless. One of the things I hear when working in GOTV is: "Why should I vote? My husband or my sons are in jail. My vote don't matter because nothing is going to change."  This is really a big deal.