Obama shortens terms for 214 prisoners; 67 had life sentence
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama spoke in Atlanta on Aug. 1. President Barack Obama today cut short the sentences of 214 federal inmates, including 67 life sentences, in what the White House called the largest batch of commutations on a single day in more than a century.
WASHINGTON » President Barack Obama today cut short the sentences of 214 federal inmates, including 67 life sentences, in what the White House called the largest batch of commutations on a single day in more than a century.
Almost all the prisoners were serving time for nonviolent crimes related to cocaine, methamphetamine or other drugs, although a few were charged with firearms violations related to their drug activities. Almost all are men, though they represent a diverse cross-section of America geographically.
Obama’s push to lessen the burden on nonviolent drug offenders reflects his long-stated view that the U.S. needs to remedy the consequences of decades of onerous sentencing requirements that put tens of thousands behind bars for far too long. Obama has used the aggressive pace of his commutations to increase pressure on Congress to pass a broader fix and to call more attention to the issue.
All told, Obama has commuted 562 sentences during his presidency — more than the past nine presidents combined, the White House said. Almost 200 of those who have benefited were serving life sentences.
“All of the individuals receiving commutation today — incarcerated under outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws — embody the president’s belief that ‘America is a nation of second chances,’” White House counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a blog post.
Eggleston said Obama examines each clemency application on its specific merits to identify the appropriate relief, including whether the prisoner would be helped by additional drug treatment, educational programming or counseling. He called on Congress to finally pass a criminal justice overhaul to bring about “lasting change to the federal system.”
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Presidents tend to use their powers to commute sentences or issue pardons more frequently at the end of their presidencies, and Obama administration officials said the rapid pace would continue during Obama’s final months.
“We are not done yet,” Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said. “We expect that many more men and women will be given a second chance through the clemency initiative.”
Most of those receiving commutations today will be released December 1.
Though there’s broad bipartisan support for a criminal justice overhaul, what had looked like a promising legislative opportunity for Obama’s final year has mostly fizzled. As with Obama’s other priorities, the intensely political climate of the presidential election year has confounded efforts by Republicans and Democratic in Congress to find consensus.
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. With Obama’s support, the Justice Department in recent years has directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.
The Obama administration has also expanded criteria for inmates applying for clemency, prioritizing nonviolent offenders who have behaved well in prison, aren’t closely tied to gangs and would have received shorter sentences if they had been convicted a few years later.
Civil liberties groups praised that policy change but have pushed the Obama administration to grant commutations at a faster pace. The Clemency Resource Center, part of NYU School of Law, said more than 11,000 petitions are pending at the Justice Department and that the group believes 1,500 of them meet the administration’s criteria to be granted.
But the calls for greater clemency have sometimes sparked accusations from Obama’s opponents that he’s too soft on crime, an argument that is particularly resonant this year as presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton trade claims about who is best positioned to keep the country safe.
“Many people will use words today like leniency and mercy,” said Kevin Ring of the group Families Against Mandatory Minimums. “But what really happened is that a group of fellow citizens finally got the punishment they deserved. Not less, but at long last, not more.”
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Online:
Obama clemency initiative: https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-initiative
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Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
25 responses to “Obama shortens terms for 214 prisoners; 67 had life sentence”
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And it starts. Hundreds more felons coming to a neighborhood near you very soon. Thanks Barry.
Be afraid, be very afraid. They are coming to get you and rape your wife and daughter. Pathetic.
That’s funny. I’m not afraid. A bunch of drug peddlers mostly.
I anticipate many more in the coming months. All presidents do it, no big deal right?
Not afraid of rape and pillage. Just afraid they will start selling drugs to kids. Yep pathetic me to worry about kids.
@Boots-That’s not funny. Your statement is pathetic.
Stop it. This is Great that the US President and Chief Commander has taken this step to improve the Criminal Justice System. This is long overdue. Everyday, the CJ system should be working towards improving the final product. The old adage of locking them up and throwing away does not work. it only create and promote harden criminals. The national trend is on victim/ offender dialogue. This is design to heal the victims in the community while making offenders learn from their mistake. Hawaii is one of the very States is yet to get this program underway.
Stop it. This is Great that the US President and Chief Commander has taken this step to improve the Criminal Justice System. This is long overdue. Everyday, the CJ system should be working towards improving the final product. The old adage of locking them up and throwing away does not work. it only create and promote harden criminals. The national trend is on victim/ offender dialogue. This is design to heal the victims in the community while making offenders learn from their mistake. Hawaii is one of the very States is yet to get this program underway.
Let me get this correct.
Stop it. This is Great that the US President and Chief Commander has taken this step to improve the Criminal Justice System. This is long overdue. Everyday, the CJ system should be working towards improving the final product. The old adage of locking them up and throwing away the key does not work. it only create and promote harden criminals. The national trend is on victim/ offender dialogue. This is design to heal the victims in the community while making offenders learn from their mistakes. Hawaii is one of the very last States to adopt such a policy driven program.
“Non-violent drug offenses” sounds innocuous enough because it makes us think of habitual drug users — but could they be drug DEALERS? Because dealers deserve to rot in prison, for the damage they have done to many, many, many people in society.
Make room for the Syrians.
The scary part for them, is acclimating to society. They come with basically no skills. As for commutation, I’m ok with it but I hope none were violent crime.
Thanks for making the homeless problem worse.
I’m sure they’ll also get free one way tickets to visit “Yes we can” bobble head’s home state and move into the free housing Kirk is building on the scary side of Giligan’s Island.
In some countries, drug convictions lead to death. It’s a serious thing and I don’t think these convictions should be deemed as non-violent because they can have lasting effects beyond the selling or using. That being said, I hope these individuals will use their second chance to help stop the selling and using of drugs.
Well, that’s one way of balancing the Federal budget!! And we think Trump is radical. Executive POWER to the max. I can’t wait for his “big” pardon list just as Clinton exonerated all those crooks–but big D contributors. Make sure Chelsea’s father in law is on the list!!!!
He’s just making more room for HiLIARy. Lock her up!
How much does us tax payers to lock a person up for life?
I realize this is not PC, but how come the article doesn’t mention the racial background of the convicts set free?
Article is a cut and paste. Washington Post published a list of names, original sentence and their new Commutation Grant. I hope they do well and appreciate this rare gift.
“The Obama administration has also expanded criteria for inmates applying for clemency, prioritizing nonviolent offenders who have behaved well in prison, aren’t closely tied to gangs and would have received shorter sentences if they had been convicted a few years later.”
not an obama fan. he did well in commuting the sentences of nonviolent, well behaved non gang bangers who earned a second look at their sentencing.
it’s time the u.s. criminal justice system is reviewed and overhauled to meet the challenges that face us today. it may be that locking nonviolent criminals in cells with violent convicts is not the best option for rehabilitation of nonviolent drug offenders.
Lets hope these people will make that second chance work for them. Lucky for them.
Would like see the recidivism rate in a few years? Wonder if it will,pose a new problems for the new administration?
I don’t think presidents & governors should be able to do that.
Then try to change the Constitution. Good luck with that.
BO…the worst potus in American history. The nightmare is almost over…I hope.