President Obama on Monday commuted the sentences of 46 drug offenders in federal prisons, as part of his administration’s effort to reform the criminal justice system.
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President Barack Obama warned Monday of an increasing urgency for the U.S.to care for older Americans as millions of baby boomers head into their golden years.
The commutations are a result of the Justice Department’s New Clemency Initiative, announced in April 2014, that offered federal prisoners who’ve served more than a decade in jail the chance to be released if they could show they would have received a shorter sentence if they’d been convicted today.
In taking this step, the President has now issued almost 90 commutations, the vast majority of them to non-violent offenders sentenced for drug law violations under draconian sentencing laws.
“Over the last few years, a lot of people have become aware of the inequities in the criminal justice system – the fact that we spend over $80 billion a year and incarcerating people oftentimes who have only been engaged in nonviolent drug offenses”, the president said in a video.
The prison sentence was commuted to expire on November 10. “And I believe I these folks deserve their second chance”.
“I am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around”, Obama wrote.
Obama is focusing on sentencing reform this week, visting a federal prison in Oklahoma and speaking to the NAACP on Tuesday about sentencing disparities. “Now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity”.
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The latest batch of commutations brings Obama’s overall number of commutations to 89 people during his presidency. Yates then sends petitions with her recommendations to Eggleston at the White House, who recommends deserving candidates to Obama. While there, he will meet with law enforcement officials and inmates.
