Hall, 42, and Vincent Thomas, 45, and five other Louisiana men will be released from prison early under the president’s order, as the White House accelerates its clemency efforts for nonviolent drug offenders in the twilight of Obama’s term.
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Obama’s action gives new life to 67 prisoners who had been serving life sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. Almost all of them were convicted of nonviolent drug-related crimes, although some also faced firearms charges related to drug activities. Nearly all are men, though they represent a diverse cross-section of America geographically.
The commutations are not a get-out-of-jail-free card for the inmates. Additional individuals granted clemency on Wednesday had lengthy sentences shortened, but will not be getting out for many years. “He has been committed to using all the tools at his disposal to remedy the unfairness at the heart of the system – including the presidential power to grant clemency”.
While the number of commutations granted during the Obama administration are historic, many advocates had hoped that thousands of individuals would be granted clemency under the initiative, which is aimed at shortening lengthy drug sentences that were often a result of federal mandatory minimums.
Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. It is a rare topic in which the Democratic president has received support from Republican lawmakers.
Robert Lee Nickles of Mobile was sentenced in 2003 to 20 years in prison plus 10 years supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
-Billy Whitehead of North Little Rock, who was sentenced in the Eastern District of Arkansas to 20 years and 10 years of supervised release for distribution of cocaine base.
Del Valle was sentenced to life imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release on September 7, 2007. Jackson will be released December 1.
Our work is far from finished.
He is serving his sentence in McKean FCI, a medium security prison in Lewis Run, Penn. His sentence now will end December 1.
Before his 2008 sentencing, Ferguson had been convicted twice for drug trafficking, once in 1991 and again in 1995, the Daily News reported in 2008. Obama commuted his sentence to expire on August 3, 2018 – with the condition that Reid enroll in a residential drug treatment program.
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Sentences: 235 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release; $1,000 fine (Aug. 22, 2007); amended to 188 months’ imprisonment (Aug. 24, 2015). The gun charge stemmed from a post-arrest search of Alvarado’s home; he did not have a firearm with him when he was arrested, according to court records.
