In 2014, Obama announced the most ambitious clemency program in 40 years, inviting thousands of drug offenders and other convicts to seek early release.
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Noting that most presidents use their power to commute sentences and pardon prisoners at the end of their terms, White House lawyers expect President Obama to keep going.
The commutations bring to 562 the total number of sentences Obama has shortened.
“The work we’re doing with commutations is unprecedented and I have now commuted more sentences for nonviolent drug offenses than the last seven or eight president’s combined”, Obama said.
“All of the individuals receiving commutation today. embody the president’s belief that ‘America is a nation of second chances, ‘” he said.
The White House said Obama had forgiven a fresh group of prisoners, including 67 who had been serving life sentences.
Most of those who were commuted will be released December 1.
Correspondents say that Mr Obama’s drive to reduce the sentences of non-violent drug offenders as part of his clemency initiative reflects his long-held belief that the USA needs to introduce less severe sentencing requirements. He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison on February 16, 1996 for violating supervised release in the Middle District of Louisiana. President Obama’s commutation grant set his sentence to expire on August 3, 2018, conditional on Comer’s enrollment in residential drug treatment. Of those, 197 were life sentences.
One man had been given 20 years for possessing a large amount of meth, the other – 34 years, partly due to additional firearm charges.
-Richard Douglas Warrick of Englewood, sentenced January 10, 1996, to 360 months in prison, five years supervised release and a $500 fine for drug conspiracy and possession of cocaine with plans to sell, distribute or dispense.
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According to the White House, of the 214 commutations Obama issued on Wednesday, 67 of those are for inmates now serving life sentences mostly for nonviolent drug charges. Obama said of granting clemency via Twitter. Almost all of them had committed nonviolent drug crimes, said Neil Eggleston, White Hosue counsel to the president.
