President Obama has shortened the prison sentences for 61 federal drug offenders, bringing the total number of commutations under his presidency to 248, far more than the total number of reduced sentences of the last six presidents combined, the White House announced Wednesday.
President Clinton commuted 61 sentences, and President Carter commuted 29, and both Democrats far exceeded the commutation rate of the four Republican presidents since President Ford.
Total commutations from the last six presidents, from Ford to President George W. Bush, totalled 139.
More than one-third of the 61 drug offenders affected by today’s announcement were serving life sentences, and with today’s action, Obama has reduced a total of 91 life sentences.
Most of the inmates were serving time for drug possession, intent to sell or related crimes, and a handful were also charged with firearm violations. Most of the sentences were reduced to allow their release by late July.
“Today’s announcement by the president … demonstrates his commitment to ensuring a fair and just criminal justice system,” Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates said in a statement. “Through cooperative bipartisan efforts with Congress, the U.S. Sentencing Commission and reform advocacy groups, we hope to soon realize systemic change in the length of prison sentences for these low-level drug offenders and to provide better tools for a safe and successful re-entry into the community.”
Obama is also set to meet with formerly incarcerated individuals Wednesday who had their sentences commuted by both his administration and the previous two administrations to discuss their re-entry into society, among other topics, the White House said.
In his letter to the 61 persons receiving commutations today, Obama wrote: “The power to grant pardons and commutations … embodies the basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance after having made a mistake in their lives that led to a conviction under our laws.”
The White House announcement Wednesday is part of an initiative launched by the Obama administration in 2014 to help let up to 10,000 people out of prison.
