Obama Administration Approaches 1,000 Commutations
Today, 72 federal drug war prisoners get sentences reduced.
Today, 72 federal drug war prisoners get sentences reduced.
He could still surpass Nixon in percentage of petitions granted.
Commutations and reforms can only ameliorate the inherent injustice of prohibition.
The president has granted 774 commutations so far, 97 percent of them in the second half of his second term.
The president might even surpass Richard Nixon's commutation rate.
In raw numbers, the president has far surpassed his recent predecessors, but his petition approval rate is only middling.
Justice Department still expects more before presidency ends.
The slowness and disorganization of the clemency process put in place has stranded many of the prisoners and families it was supposed to help.
The young father of three got 55 years for three small-time pot sales.
Total for administration reaches 348, but hundreds more may still qualify.
Only 4 percent of cases reviewed by volunteer lawyers have made the cut so far.
Nixon's commutation rate was more than four times as high.
The deadline is rapidly approaching for federal prisoners to request mercy.
Obama has granted about 1 percent of commutation petitions, compared to Nixon's 7 percent.
A big backlog of prisoners seeking shorter sentences has gotten a lot bigger.
If Obama means what he says about unjust punishment, he will free Weldon Angelos.
Obama's commutation record looks good in absolute numbers but paltry as a percentage of petitions.
After 21 years behind bars, a nonviolent drug offender gets parole.
He emphasizes the importance of making shorter sentences retroactive.
According to John Walters, all drug offenders are violent.
The president can do much more to correct unjust sentences, but time is running out.
The president joins the Kentucky senator in calling for sentencing reform.
This is a promising and positive step in the right direction, but real reform is still needed.
If correcting clear injustices is the aim, Obama can do a lot more.
After 21 years in prison, Jeff Mizanskey is eligible for parole.
Stepping up his commutations, the president begins to make up for lost time.
The president shortens 22 sentences, doubling his total in a single day.
The affected prisoners include a marijuana grower sentenced to life.
Despite belated pardons and a few more commutations, the president's mercy is rarely seen.
The president has begun to deliver on promises of a more rational, less punitive approach to psychoactive substances.
All of them. You're welcome
Three months ahead of scheduled release, which counts as mercy for Russia