As anyone who has faced the federal sentencing guidelines knows, a non-violent crime that meets certain criteria can very quickly escalate to a sentence involving decades in prison. Frequently, the casual observer might easily find that the required minimum sentence does not fit the severity of the crime, especially in cases involving drugs and controlled substances.
The President recently approved 46 more sentences for commutation, all of whom were convicted under outdated sentencing guidelines and would have completed their sentences by now were they convicted today. Of the 46, 14 were life sentences, with the majority of the rest 20 years or more. In a published letter to one of the individuals receiving a commutation, the President notes that thousands of convicts have applied for commutation but only a fraction are approved. He also encourages the man to take full advantage of this opportunity that reflects the “basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance after having made a mistake that led to a conviction under our laws.”
In a video released on Facebook, the President discusses the inequities in the criminal justice system, referring to the $80 billion the United States spends on prisons. He notes that the political atmosphere both in Congress and around the country is inclined to making the system work better overall. He notes that the justice system should be more efficient in its use of tax dollars and must be fairer. Criminal justice reform is starting to get bipartisan support, according to the President.
The President makes clear that none of the commutations are for “hardened criminals” and that each of them demonstrated their potential to turn their life around. At the end of his letter to each of the convicts, the President challenges them to “prove the doubters wrong and change your life for the better.”