Clemency for Prisoners
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From the Center
Obama Administration Unveils New Clemency Program
Thousands of federal prison inmates could seek early release under details of a new, long-awaited clemency program unveiled by the Obama administration Wednesday.
The effort is part of a broader push by the administration and some in Congress to roll back the most punitive sentencing practices that were largely developed in the 1980s as a reaction to the crack-cocaine epidemic and a rise in crime.
Now, there are growing calls from conservatives and liberals to reduce prison sentences for nonviolent offenders, based on arguments that long sentences for nonviolent offenders...
From the Right
DOJ announces clemency overhaul, allows release for some after 10 years
The Justice Department moved Wednesday to significantly expand the number of people eligible for clemency, issuing new guidelines allowing certain prisoners who already have served at least 10 years behind bars to apply for release.
The initiative is part of a broader Obama administration effort to ease sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.
From the Left
Thousands More Inmates Eligible for Clemency Under Justice Dept. Plan
The Justice Department is significantly expanding the pool of people eligible to apply for early release from prison, a move that would further chip away at strict sentencing laws involving drug crimes.
The plan, which Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole announced Wednesday morning, would make thousands of federal inmates eligible for early release, but only a fraction of those would probably make it through the review process before President Obama leaves office.
Mr. Cole won praise from civil rights groups in January for encouraging inmates convicted of low-leve
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