Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 2015
Source: Orange County Register, The (CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.ocregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321
Author: Eric Tucker The Associated Press

OBAMA COMMUTES SENTENCES OF 95, PARDONS 2 IN YEAR-END SPREE

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Friday commuted the 
sentences of 95 prisoners and pardoned two more, part of a broader 
effort to rethink a criminal justice system that critics say has 
resulted in overly harsh and expensive sentences for thousands of 
drug offenders.

The commutations, the most Obama has issued at one time, mostly 
benefit nonviolent drug offenders  many of whom are serving long 
sentences for cocaine and crack crimes.

Obama is also pardoning an Ohio man sentenced to probation in a 
counterfeiting case and a Virginia woman sentenced to home detention 
and supervised release in a bank fraud case.

The announcement comes amid a bipartisan push to ease steep 
punishment for nonviolent offenders.

As part of that effort, the Justice Department in April 2014 
announced new criteria designed to encourage additional prisoners to 
apply for clemency. Though advocates praised that move, the number of 
prisoners granted clemency since then has been fewer than what had been hoped.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom