Obama Commutes 22 Prison Sentences
Following an administration-wide commitment to reform sentencing guidelines for non-violent drug offenders, President Obama on Tuesday commuted prison time for 22 people convicted of federal drug crimes, many of whom faced decades to life behind bars.
The nearly two dozen offenders had been found guilty on a range of drug charges including intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and possession of methamphetamine. All but one will be freed from prison on July 28th.
“It will not be easy, and you will confront many who doubt people with criminal records can change. Perhaps even you are unsure of how you will adjust to your new circumstances,” President Obama wrote in a letter to Terry Barnes, one of the inmates whose 20-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base was shortened. Barnes has already served 10 years in federal prison and will be released this summer.