Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Obama Commutes Federal Prison Sentences Of 111 People

Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday commuted the federal sentences of 111 people — making a total of 325 commutations in the month of August and 673 commutations during his presidency.

Obama, who has made the issuance of commutations to address harsh sentencing laws a key element in his presidency, ended August as he began it — by issuing a large batch of more than 100 commutations.

On Aug. 3, Obama issued 214 commutations — a move the White House announced as the most a president had issued in a single day since at least 1900.

On Tuesday, the president issued 111 more commutations. A BuzzFeed News review of the list provided by the White House details that all are serving sentences for convictions of drug crimes or drug-related crimes. The vast majority stem from cocaine, mainly crack cocaine, offenses, although a dozen of Tuesday's commutations include methamphetamine-related offenses and one — out of Florida — is of an LSD-related conviction.

Tuesday's commutations are the latest in a series of such moves by Obama after announcing his support in 2014 for a clemency review process to address those serving harsh sentences that they would not be subject to if convicted today. The Clemency Project has led Obama to to grant a series of such commutations beginning in July 2015.

LINK: Read the full list of Tuesday's commutations from the White House.



Source BuzzFeed - Politics http://ift.tt/2bDPDMB

0 comments:

Post a Comment