Obama Commutes 214 Drug Sentences, Most in Nation’s History
P
resident Obama has commuted the sentences of 214 people serving federal prison sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, the largest single-day grant of commutations in American history. All 214 inmates – 67 of which were serving life sentences – will walk out of prison as free people on December 1st.
President Obama has now commuted the sentences of 562 people, which is more than the past nine presidents combined. Of the 562 people whose sentences were commuted, 197 were serving life in prison, meaning they would have died behind bars if not set free by the president.
Although this is clearly good news, there are still thousands of people wrongfully in prison over nonviolent drug crimes, and true change won’t occur until there’s a change in federal drug laws.
Anonymous
That Is Good News!
Thx Mr. President, Sir
Anonymous
Thanks for that Mr. President but what about the rest of us on disability that need Medical Marijuana. The shame is I see all these off duty police officers out drinking with there buddies which has a much greater affect on people then people who smoke Marijuana. But yet they are allowed to do this drinking legal but then they go bust someone for smoking a joint which do’s less harm then that beer he drank on he’s off day. It just doesn’t make since!! I don’t know how many people have lost control of there car and killed other people. But you just don’t hear man smoke marijuana and lost control of car. Why because drinking is much more dangerous then smoking Marijuana but Marijuana is illegal and drinking is legal? Thank they got that backwards Mr. President. So how about fixing the real problem instead of just letting a few people out for smoking Marijuana lets make it legal to smoke marijuana for everyone!!
Andrew Dobbs
With 562 total commutations during his presidency — most of which have come in the past year —Obama has now used his constitutional clemency power to shorten the sentences of more federal inmates than any president since Calvin Coolidge.