Here We Go: Commutations Questioned

The National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys is aware of the fact that President Obama has announced his interest in granting clemency (commutations of sentence in particular) to defendants who are “non-violent, low-level" offenders without "significant criminal history, and had no history of violence." But the group now complains that:

... many of the drug traffickers being released had armed themselves with firearms (one with 40 firearms); many were leaders or supervisors in their crimes (one was the lead defendant in a 69-day trial); many had multiple prior felony convictions (one had 8 prior felony drug trafficking convictions); and the vast majority were involved in conspiracies to distribute large quantities of dangerous drugs, often hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine or cocaine.” 

Says the group, "Americans need more information than they are getting in order to decide whether now is the time to reverse the strong sentencing policies that, for the last generation, have helped slash crime rates and keep us all safer.” See full story here.