Obama has commuted the sentences of 348 people, more than the combined amount issued by his seven predecessors.
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Two local men will be freed from federal prison in October after being sentenced to life in prison for drug crimes.
Phillip Emmert also met with Obama earlier this year.
Obama has called for legislation to reduce sentences and provide alternative punishments for small-time offenders.
Martin’s sentencing guidelines were enhanced by his past convictions.
It’s not just Obama pushing for reform. Thousands applied for consideration under the president’s clemency program, and now, 9,000 more applications are pending, per The Hill. The President enacted almost half of these commutations in the last three months-61 commutations were granted at the end of March and another 54 in May. He was convicted in 2006 of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
“The day-to-day of prison is taking an even greater toll on me….”
However, the White House’s own efforts are still a far cry from the 10,000 shorted prison terms for drug offenders Obama promised to deliver in 2014 by using the power of his presidential pardon. After all, four states now allow legal use of marijuana, part of a major shift in how at least parts of the country think about recreational drugs. No drugs were found, but prosecutors used testimony from co-conspirators who testified in exchange for lighter sentences, the ACLU said.
Such policy shifts by Congress and Obama also underscore the extent to which some imprisoned Americans feel their lives were ensnared in a cultural crisis.
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The sentences for the prisoners ranged from life in prison to 180 months, though most faced 20 to 30 year minimums.
