Barack Obama commuted sentences of more than 1,000 in prison for drug crimes

Posted by endswapper on Tuesday November 22, 2016 @04:35PM
from the qz.com dept.

http://qz.com/844035/barack-obama-has-now-commuted-the-sentences-of-more-than-1000-people-in-prison-for-drug-crimes/

( 4 comments | 12 points | on HN )

Re:Barack Obama commuted sentences of more than 1,000 in pri... by endswapper on Tuesday November 22, 2016 @04:39PM (#13017908)

This is a step in the right direction. The war on drugs is an abject failure. I'd like to see him commute everyone that qualifies, i.e. non-violent, excessive sentences, etc. before he leaves office.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Barack Obama commuted sentences of more than 1,000 in pri... by jackfrodo on Tuesday November 22, 2016 @05:10PM (#13018122)

Right. A step. I'd imagine that a good number of these should have been pardons. For example. There are over 11,000 people in federal prison for marijuana offenses[0]. Unbelievable.

[0] https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/dofp12.pdf

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Re:Barack Obama commuted sentences of more than 1,000 in pri... by phasecode on Tuesday November 22, 2016 @06:16PM (#13018537)

Does anyone know if these in jeopardy of being reversed by the Trump Administration?

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Re:Barack Obama commuted sentences of more than 1,000 in pri... by cooper12 on Tuesday November 22, 2016 @06:38PM (#13018647)

Last paragraph of the article:

> “Clemency is the one administrative action President Obama can take that will not be overturned by an incoming Trump administration,” Jessica Jackson Sloan, director of #cut50, a criminal justice reform group, said in a statement.

[ Parent | on HN ]