As part of his “second chance” initiative, President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the prison sentences of more than 100 nonviolent drug offenders, setting a new monthly record.
Advertisement
Obama has fiercely defended his use of commutations and continues to work with bi-partisan Congress to make sweeping criminal justice reforms. Along with his 673 commutations, the White House says, Obama “has also granted 70 pardons and is committed to continuing to grant additional commutations and pardons throughout the remainder of his presidency”. Thirty-five of those who were granted relief Tuesday had been serving life sentences. He was sentenced to life in 1992 for conspiracy and drug distribution, among other charges. “It is disproportionately young men of color that are being arrested at higher rates, charged and convicted at higher rates, and imprisoned for longer sentences”.
In a major push to commute prison sentences before the end of his final term, President Obama shortened the sentences of 111 more inmates who were incarcerated for drug offences.
Advertisement
Despite the harsh critiques from prison advocates who don’t believe that the clemency program is working fairly for all, the DOJ will be able to consider applications from all drug criminals before Obama leaves office in 2017. “At our current pace, we are confident that we will be able to review and make a recommendation to the president on every single drug petition we now have”, Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates told NPR. To date, the President has granted commutations to more prisoners than the past ten presidents combined.
