clemency Archives - TheJointBlog

In Final Day of Office, President Obama Grants 330 More Commutations

January 20, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

In his final day in office, President Obama granted 330 more commutations, the most in a single day in U.S. history.

The move – which comes just two days after the last batch of clemency – brings the total number of commutations granted by President Obama to 1715; this is well more than the past 12 presidents combined. Included in this commutations were 568 people who were serving life sentences; this means they would have died in prison if not for Obama.

The vast majority of the commuted charges were for drug-related offenses.

For comparison sake, former President George W. Bush granted just 11 commutations, whereas Bill Clinton granted 61

President Obama Pardons 79 More Drug Offenders

November 23, 2016November 23, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

President Obama announced Tuesday that he is granting pardons to 79 more people serving federal prison sentences for nonviolent drug-related crimes.

President Obama has now pardoned 1,023 individuals (342 serving life sentences), more than the past 11 presidents combined.

“He is committed to using his clemency power in ways not seen from any other president in the modern era,” White House Counsel Neil Eggleston told the media. Eggleston says the commutations are an example of the United states being a “nation of second chances.”

President Obama Grants 102 More Pardons, Brings Total to 774, More than Last 11 Presidents Combined

October 11, 2016October 7, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

President Obama yesterday commuted the sentences of 102 more people, the “vast majority” of which have been in prison for nonviolent drug-related offenses. This brings the total number of pardons granted by Obama to 774, more than the number of commutations issued by the last 11 presidents combined.

“The vast majority of today’s grants were for individuals serving unduly harsh sentences for drug-related crimes under outdated sentencing laws,” said White House counsel Neil Eggleston in a press release. “With today’s grants, the President has commuted 774 sentences, more than the previous 11 presidents combined. With a total of 590 commutations this year, President Obama has now commuted the sentences of more individuals in one year than in any other single year in our nation’s history.”

Obama Pardons Dozens More Drug Offenders, Including 20 Serving Life Sentences

June 6, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

On Friday, President Obama announced 42 additional grants of clemency to men and women serving years in prison under outdated and unduly harsh drug sentencing laws. 20 of these individuals were set to spend the rest of their life in prison.

To date, the President has commuted the sentences of 348 individuals, 150 more than the previous seven Presidents combined. According to a White House blog post; “He remains committed to using his clemency power throughout the remainder of the Administration to give more deserving individuals that same second chance.”

President Obama Pardons Dozens of Drug Offenders, Incuding Some Serving Life Sentences

March 30, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

US President Barack Obama speaks during an event with city mayors from around the country in the East Room of the White House January 21, 2016 in Washington, DC. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) — (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

President Obama today granted clemency to 61 individuals serving federal prison sentences for drug-related offenses, with more than a third in prison serving life sentences.

These 61 pardons brings the total number of sentences President Obama has commuted to 248, more than the past six presidents combined. In total, he’s commuted 92 life sentences.

The President today is meeting with commutation recipients from both his Administration and the previous administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

President Obama Grants Clemency to 14 Individuals Serving Life in Prison for Drugs

July 13, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

By Drug Policy Alliance

President Obama announcing in a video that he's commuted 46 sentences. — President Obama announcing in a video that he’s commuted 46 sentences.

Today, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 46 people incarcerated in federal prison. This follows the commutation of eight people incarcerated in federal prison for drug offenses in December of 2014, and 22 in March 2015. Fourteen of the people who received commutations today were serving life in prison for nonviolent drug offenses.

In taking this step, the President has now issued nearly 90 commutations, the vast majority of them to non-violent offenders sentenced for drug law violations under draconian sentencing laws. President Obama has been under significant public pressure from advocacy groups and family members of people incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses who are serving long, mandatory minimum sentences.

President Obama to Commute Sentences of Dozens of Drug Offenders

July 14, 2015July 13, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

President Obama last commuted sentences in March, when he let 22 drug offenders free.

President Obama plans this week to free dozens of inmates serving time for non-violent drug offenses by commuting their sentences, according to a presidential spokesman.

In total, Obama plans to commute the sentences of up to 80 people, many currently in prison for non-violent, drug-related offenses. This will mean that these individuals can walk free without serving the remainder of their sentences. Some would have spent the remainder of their life incarcerated, as they’re serving life sentences.

President Obama Commutes 22 Drug Sentences, Including 8 Lifetime Sentences

March 31, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

President Obama today commuted the sentences of 22 convicted federal drug offenders, including eight serving life sentences. This action doubles the number of commutations the President has issued since taking office in 2009, and is double the total amount of commutations given out by former President Bush during his eight years in office.

“Had they been sentenced under current laws and policies, many of these individuals would have already served their time and paid their debt to society,” White House counsel Neil Eggleston said in a statement announcing the commutations. “Because many were convicted under an outdated sentencing regime, they served years — in some cases more than a decade — longer than individuals convicted today of the same crime.”

President Obama Plans to Release Hundreds, Perhaps Thousands of Inmates Jailed for Drug Offenses Early

May 19, 2014April 22, 2014 by Anthony Martinelli

The Obama administration has announced that it will be actively encouraging prisoners serving sentences for drug offenses to apply for clemency – with the goal of releasing hundreds, if not thousands, of inmates early.

White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler spoke about the presidential plans to grant wide-spread clemency at New York University’s law school last Tuesday, indicating that the Obama administration is officially recognizing the harms associated with the war on drugs, and more specifically, the war on low-level drug offenders.