Federal drug prosecutions are on the decline

The rate at which federal prosecutors sought mandatory minimum prison terms for non-violent drug offenders dropped to record lows in 2014, in what administration officials say represents strong evidence that new sentencing policy is working.

In advance of Attorney General Eric Holder's speech Tuesday at the National Press Club, data compiled by the U.S. Sentencing Commission showed that prosecutors sought harsh mandatory minimum punishments 51% of the time in 2014, down from nearly 64% in th