Obama Will Take 'Executive Action' to Reduce Prison Population

[flowers]

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/obama-will-take-executive-action-reduce-prison-population

(CNSNews.com) - Congress can pass legislation giving judges more discretion in the sentencing of prisoners, but President Obama "also has the ability to take executive action" to commute the sentences of "low-level" drug offenders -- and that's just what he plans to do, Deputy Attorney General James Cole told the New York State Bar Association annual meeting on Thursday.

"A little over a month ago, the President commuted the sentences of eight men and women who were sentenced under severe -- and out of date -- mandatory minimum sentencing laws," Cole said.

"But the President’s grant of commutations for these eight individuals is only a first step. There is more to be done, because there are others like the eight who were granted clemency. There are more low-level, non-violent drug offenders who remain in prison, and who would likely have received a substantially lower sentence if convicted of precisely the same offenses today.  This is not fair, and it harms our criminal justice system.

"To help correct this, we need to identify these individuals and get well-prepared petitions into the Department of Justice. It is the Department’s goal to find additional candidates, who are similarly situated to the eight granted clemency last year, and recommend them to the President for clemency consideration."

Although commutation of sentence is an "extraordinary remedy that is rarely used," that's about to change.

Cole said the Justice Department wants state bar associations to "assist potential candidates for executive clemency" by "assembling effective and appropriate commutation petitions."

He described qualified clemency candidates as non-violent, low-level drug offenders who were not involved in gang or cartel activity; first-time offenders; and those without an extensive criminal history.

[EC]

I have a totally fair way to reduce the prison population. It can be done by EO, and might appeal to the Worm - he likes this sort of thing.

Go to every third cell. Grab the inmate. Shoot them. Repeat once a year.

Hey - if companies can reduce headcount, why can't prisons?

[Chieftain]

This is nothing.  Remember all the pardons Slick Willie handed out on his departure??  Wait till Obama hands out his. 

I'll bet a burger he commutes Mumia Abu Jamal's sentence.

For starters.

[EC]

Change the stakes to a home cooked meal, and you are on. 

[DCPatriot]