In Sentencing, Tough Is Not Necessarily Smart
Trump should not take his criminal justice cues from his attorney general.
Clemency
Obama Issued More Commutations Than Any Previous President but Neglected Pardons
Donald Trump and his attorney general take a dim view of Obama's mercy.
Obama Surpasses Wilson's Commutation Record
The president has now shortened more sentences than any of his predecessors.
2016: The Year in Blame Shifting
How to dodge responsibility, whether you're a candidate or a cop.
The Press and the White House Gild Obama's Clemency Lily
Obama has not issued more pardons and commutations than any other president or the most in a single day.
Obama Granted Clemency to 231 Inmates Monday. Here is One of Their Stories
Cheryl Howard received life in prison for crack cocaine. On Monday, her daughter found out she is coming home.
Activists to Obama: Speed Up the Clemencies, Please!
Fears that a Trump administration will not be as merciful.
How Much Credit Should Obama Get for Shrinking the Federal Prison Population?
Bipartisan sentencing reforms and falling crime rates have played a much bigger role than commutations or DOJ policy.
Obama Administration Breaks 1,000 Commutations Threshold
Another 79 granted mercy over federal drug war sentences.
Read These Family Members of Current Inmates Urging Obama to Expand Clemency
With time running out on the Obama White House, activists and family members of current inmates fear the door on clemency is about to slam shut.
Commuted Sentence Shows Injustice of Crack Penalties and 'Three Strikes' Provision
Donald Graham got one year for each of the two drug offenses he committed as a teenager, then life at 30.
Obama Administration Approaches 1,000 Commutations
Today, 72 federal drug war prisoners get sentences reduced.
Obama Commutes Sentences of 98 Drug Offenders, Including 42 Lifers
He could still surpass Nixon in percentage of petitions granted.
Drug Sentences Will Never Be Fair
Commutations and reforms can only ameliorate the inherent injustice of prohibition.
Obama Shortens 102 Sentences, Including 35 Life Terms for Nonviolent Drug Offenses
The president has granted 774 commutations so far, 97 percent of them in the second half of his second term.
Obama Will Issue Thousands of Commutations If He Keeps This Month's Pace
The president might even surpass Richard Nixon's commutation rate.
Obama's Record-Breaking Commutations Leave Much Work to Do
In raw numbers, the president has far surpassed his recent predecessors, but his petition approval rate is only middling.
Obama's Biggest Commutation Announcement Yet Will Help More than 200 Imprisoned in Drug War
Justice Department still expects more before presidency ends.
President Obama's Clemency Project is a Bureaucratic Nightmare
The slowness and disorganization of the clemency process put in place has stranded many of the prisoners and families it was supposed to help.
Weldon Angelos Is Free, Thanks to a Prosecutor, Not a President
The young father of three got 55 years for three small-time pot sales.
White House Announces 42 New Commutations
Total for administration reaches 348, but hundreds more may still qualify.
Very Few Prisoners Seeking Commutations Meet DOJ's Picky Criteria for Consideration
Only 4 percent of cases reviewed by volunteer lawyers have made the cut so far.
Obama Could Have Achieved a Nixonian Level of Mercy If He Had Wasted Less Time
Nixon's commutation rate was more than four times as high.
Obama Announces New Round of Commutations
The deadline is rapidly approaching for federal prisoners to request mercy.
Obama's Mercy Still Pales Next to Richard Nixon's
Obama has granted about 1 percent of commutation petitions, compared to Nixon's 7 percent.
On Commutations, DOJ Blames Volunteer Lawyers for Failing to Do Its Job
A big backlog of prisoners seeking shorter sentences has gotten a lot bigger.
Judge Who Sentenced Small-Time Pot Dealer to 55 Years Again Urges Clemency
If Obama means what he says about unjust punishment, he will free Weldon Angelos.
Obama Frees Sharanda Jones and 94 Other Prisoners Serving Draconian Sentences
Obama's commutation record looks good in absolute numbers but paltry as a percentage of petitions.
Marijuana Lifer Jeff Mizanskey Will Be Free Soon
After 21 years behind bars, a nonviolent drug offender gets parole.
John Oliver Slams Mandatory Minimums
He emphasizes the importance of making shorter sentences retroactive.
Former Drug Czar: There's No Such Thing As an Unjust Drug Sentence
According to John Walters, all drug offenders are violent.
Obama Holds the Key For Imprisoned Drug Offenders
The president can do much more to correct unjust sentences, but time is running out.
Obama Agrees With Rand Paul That Mandatory Minimums Should Be Abolished
The president joins the Kentucky senator in calling for sentencing reform.
Obama Just Commuted the Sentences of 46 Non-Violent Drug Offenders
This is a promising and positive step in the right direction, but real reform is still needed.
'Dozens' of Commutations Are Good; 'Thousands' Would Be Better
If correcting clear injustices is the aim, Obama can do a lot more.
Missouri's Governor Commutes a Marijuana Offender's Life Sentence
After 21 years in prison, Jeff Mizanskey is eligible for parole.
Obama Frees Drug War Prisoners
Stepping up his commutations, the president begins to make up for lost time.
Obama Steps Up Commutations, Feeding Drug War Prisoners' Hopes
The president shortens 22 sentences, doubling his total in a single day.
Obama Doubles His Commutation Total in One Day
The affected prisoners include a marijuana grower sentenced to life.
Obama's Clemency Record Is Still One of the Worst Ever
Despite belated pardons and a few more commutations, the president's mercy is rarely seen.
Is Obama the Drug Warrior Becoming Obama the Reformer?
The president has begun to deliver on promises of a more rational, less punitive approach to psychoactive substances.
