Clemency

Policy

Obama Finds His Clemency Pen

Commutations could be the president's most admirable legacy.

Jacob Sullum | 4.30.2014 7:00 AM

Policy

New Clemency Policy Could Free 'Hundreds, Perhaps Thousands' of Drug War Prisoners (and Yes, That Would Be Constitutional)

Jacob Sullum | 4.23.2014 2:04 PM

Policy

Is a Major, Merciful Change in Presidential Pardon Policy Brewing?

Scott Shackford | 4.21.2014 4:00 PM

Policy

Obama Surpasses the Awful Commutation Records of Three Republicans but Still Falls Far Short of Nixonian Mercy

Jacob Sullum | 4.17.2014 12:35 PM

Policy

DOJ Promises More Commutations but Despite 9,000 Petitions Needs Help Finding People to Free

Jacob Sullum | 1.30.2014 6:04 PM

Politics

White House Asking for Suggestions on Drug Convicts to Give Clemency To

All of them. You're welcome

Reason Staff | 1.30.2014 11:05 AM

Politics

Demon Rum and Other Excuses

The year's highlights in blame shifting

Jacob Sullum | 1.1.2014 7:00 AM

Policy

Obama Frees Clarence Aaron and Seven Other Drug Offenders Sentenced Under Old Crack Law

Jacob Sullum | 12.19.2013 3:57 PM

Culture

Pussy Riot Members Freed from Prison

Three months ahead of scheduled release, which counts as mercy for Russia

Reason Staff | 12.19.2013 3:40 PM

Politics

Pussy Riot Set To Be Freed Under Amnesty Bill

Jess Remington | 12.18.2013 5:15 PM

Politics

Judging From His Clemency Record, Obama Likes Turkeys 10 Times As Much As People

Jacob Sullum | 11.27.2013 12:08 PM

Politics

Obama Will Pardon Turkeys But Not a First-Time Offender Like Weldon Angelos?

Nick Gillespie | 11.27.2013 11:53 AM

Policy

If Obama Cares About Unjust Drug Sentences, Why Is Weldon Angelos Still Behind Bars?

Jacob Sullum | 11.13.2013 5:30 PM

Politics

Brickbat: Unpardonable

Reason Staff | 9.23.2013 6:00 AM

Policy

Jacob Sullum Asks Why Obama Does Not Use His Clemency Power to Remedy the 'Draconian' Drug Sentences Decried by His Attorney General

Jacob Sullum | 8.15.2013 6:48 PM

Politics

Obama Not Using His Presidential Powers to Alleviate Prison Sentences and be "Smart on Crime"

Only one person granted an early release by the president, and he has a lower clemency rate than any other modern president

Reason Staff | 8.15.2013 1:24 PM

Policy

Steve Cohen Calls Marijuana Prohibition Unjust, Wonders Why Obama Is So Stingy With Commutations

Jacob Sullum | 5.17.2013 6:00 AM

Policy

Obama Ends the War on Drugs…Again

Jacob Sullum | 4.25.2013 6:50 PM

Policy

Gov. Jerry Brown Pardons Some Drug War Convictions – Anger Follows

65 selected for Easter clemency have been out of prison and living clean for years

Scott Shackford | 4.1.2013 11:41 AM

Policy

Obama Issues His Fourth Batch of Pardons; Still No More Commutations

Jacob Sullum | 3.1.2013 5:42 PM

Politics

Obama Grants 17 Pardons

None are medical marijuana cases

Reason Staff | 3.1.2013 5:20 PM

Policy

6,741 Reasons to Think Obama Is Not Serious About Criminal Justice Reform

Jacob Sullum | 2.12.2013 4:38 PM

Politics

Barack the Unmerciful

Obama's amazingly stingy clemency record

Jacob Sullum | 1.9.2013 7:00 AM

Policy

Wisconsin Governor Has Issued No Pardons

His predecessor got in hot water for pardoning nearly 300 people

Reason Staff | 1.2.2013 9:24 PM

Policy

DOJ Inspector General Faults Pardon Attorney for Misleading the White House About Clarence Aaron's Clemency Petition

Jacob Sullum | 12.20.2012 1:20 PM

Policy

What Obama Can Do Right Now to End Outrageous Prison Sentences

Jacob Sullum | 12.12.2012 11:31 AM

Culture

Today's Depressing Post-Thanksgiving Metaphor

The fate of the pardoned turkeys

Jesse Walker | 11.26.2012 10:13 AM

Politics

Turkeys Gobbler, Cobbler Only Recipients of Presidential Pardons This Year

The power to pardon is not just a novelty

Ed Krayewski | 11.22.2012 1:55 PM

Politics

Obama Administration Will Review Clarence Aaron's Commutation Petition and the Clemency Process

Jacob Sullum | 7.19.2012 12:13 PM

Politics

Florida, Illinois Eliminate Commissions that Help Free Innocent, Investigate Police Torture

Scott Shackford | 6.7.2012 2:51 PM

Politics

Will President Obama Commute Clarence Aaron's Sentence?

Ed Krayewski | 5.16.2012 12:54 PM