Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2016
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 2016 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Author: Gregory Korte

OBAMA HAS SET A SINGLE-YEAR RECORD FOR COMMUTATIONS

WASHINGTON - President Obama granted 98 more commutations to federal
inmates Thursday, bringing the total for this year to 688 - the most
commutations ever granted by a president in a single year.

In all, he's now shortened the sentences of 872 inmates during his
presidency, more than any president since Woodrow Wilson.

The actions were part of Obama's extraordinary effort to use his
constitutional power to rectify what he sees as unduly harsh sentences
imposed during the "War on Drugs." Through a clemency initiative
announced in 2014, he's effectively re-sentenced hundreds of
non-violent drug dealers to the sentences they would have received
under today's more lenient sentencing guidelines.
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