Obama has commuted the sentences of 872 federal prisoners - more than the 11 previous Presidents combined
By Dave Burke | Daily Mail | October 28, 2016
Nearly 100 federal inmates are set to be released early after intervention from Barack Obama - meaning the outgoing President has commuted more sentences than his 11 predecessors combined.
A clemency push has sped up in recent months, and on Thursday 98 had their sentences reduced.
Obama has now cut short the sentences of 872 inmates, including 688 this year. The latest batch included 42 who were serving life sentences, the White House confirmed.
By comparison, George W. Bush granted 11 commutations, and Bill Clinton approved 61.
The previous 11 presidents, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush, issued 690 between them. Since 1900, the president to grant the most commutations was Woodrow Wilson, Justice Department figures reveal. He approved 264.
The administration has said the move recognizes the 'personal stories' behind the sentences, and reflects Obama's belief that onerous sentencing requirements put tens of thousands behind bars for far too long, largely as a result of the 'War on Drugs' in the 1980s and 90s.
But critics, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, have attacked the policy, accusing Obama of being soft on crime.
At a campaign rally in August, Trump told supporters: 'Some of these people are bad dudes.
'And these are people who are out, they're walking the streets. Sleep tight, folks.'
The President's White House counsel, Neil Eggleston, said: 'These are individuals - many of whom made mistakes at a young age - who have diligently worked to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated.'
Most of the prisoners had been convicted of nonviolent drug crimes, mostly involving cocaine or methamphetamine.
Some were also serving time for firearms violations in connection to drug trafficking, possession or sales. Almost all are men who come from every corner of the US.
Earlier this month 102 sentences of mostly nonviolent drug offenders were commuted.
These included Lancell Maurice Harris, from Arkansas, who had been jailed for 421 months in 1993 for drug and firearm charges. He is now set to be released in February.
Some of the prisoners will be released early next year, while some will not be freed until as far forward as October 2018.
Among those listed for early release is Massachusetts drug dealer Alberto Lopez, who was serving a life term plus six years' supervised release after being convicted of possession and conspiracy charges related to distribution of heroin and cocaine.
He is due to be set free in February next year.
Obama has used the aggressive pace of his commutations to increase pressure on Congress to pass a broader fix to the justice system while using his executive powers to address individual cases where possible.
Though both parties in Congress have called for a criminal justice overhaul, momentum has mostly petered out, although both Republicans and Democrats agree the issue needs fixing.
Obama has been calling for years for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries.
With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.
The Obama administration has also expanded criteria for inmates applying for clemency, prioritizing nonviolent offenders who have behaved well in prison, aren't closely tied to gangs and would have received shorter sentences if they had been convicted a few years later.
COMMUTATIONS ISSUED BY THE LAST 11 PRESIDENTS
George W. Bush (2001-2009) - 11
Bill Clinton (1993-2001) - 61
George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) - 3
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) - 13
Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) - 29
Gerald Ford (1974-1977) - 22
Richard Nixon (1969-1974) - 60
Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969) - 226
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) - 100
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) - 47
Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) - 118
EDITOR’S NOTE: You can bet that many of the convicts whose sentences Obama commuted were involved in other crimes in addition to drug crimes, some even committing violent crimes, charges for which were dismissed in plea agreements.
As for those non-violent criminals liberals keep weeping and wailing for, a ‘non-violent’ criminal in jail is one less criminal on the streets!
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