Jacob Sullum Asks Why Obama Does Not Free Drug Offenders He Thinks Do Not Belong in Prison
Last week Attorney General Eric Holder Holder called upon Congress to reform mandatory minimum sentences and outlined steps the Justice Department will take in the meantime to avoid imposing "draconian" penalties on nonviolent, low-level drug offenders. He said his boss, President Barack Obama, shares his concern about mass incarceration and harsh sentences. But as Senior Editor Jacob Sullum notes, Holder neglected to mention that Obama has the power to free people who do not belong in prison—a power he has exercised just once during almost five years in office.