Obama Commutes 46 Drug Offenders
President Obama said these are not “hardened criminals” and the punishments did not fit the crimes.
Obama said the move was part of his larger attempt to reform the criminal justice system, including reviewing sentencing laws and reducing punishments for non-violent crimes.
“I believe that at its heart, America is a nation of second chances, and I believe these folks deserve their second chance,” Obama said in the video.
The move brings the number of Obama’s commutations to nearly 90. Most of those have been for federal prisoners incarcerated for drug offenses, who under current sentencing guidelines would have already finished serving time in prison.
The White House on Monday posted a letter Obama wrote to one of the prisoners whose sentence was commuted.
“I am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around,” Obama wrote. “Now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity. 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. But remember that you have the capacity to make good choices.”
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
56 responses to Obama Commutes 46 Drug Offenders
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allison1050 July 13th, 2015 at 15:11
But doesn’t he have the capacity to commute sentences for personal use?
whatthe46 July 13th, 2015 at 15:34
i don’t think he’s finished.
allison1050 July 13th, 2015 at 15:51
I hope you’re right.
whatthe46 July 13th, 2015 at 16:51
he should commute or pardon women who are in prison just for being girlfriends of drug dealers when they had absolutely no involvement in the crimes. whereas, the boyfriends received hardly no time but the girlfriends received nearly life sentences. of course this is in the southern states. in particularly Fl.
Red Eye Robot July 13th, 2015 at 17:05
46 potential Dylann Roofs
jasperjava July 13th, 2015 at 17:33
We’re more at risk from right-wing wacko extremists like yourself than from any of these people .
Chinese Democracy July 13th, 2015 at 20:26
yaaaaas … And its been proven over and over . Cuz we all know Dylan Roofs was a commie liberal
craig7120 July 13th, 2015 at 21:59
Truth
William July 13th, 2015 at 18:35
46 potential Rush Limbaughs,
Chinese Democracy July 13th, 2015 at 20:25
well to be fair he had the maid buy is hillbilly heroine for him
Red Eye Robot July 26th, 2015 at 03:21
Remind me how many people rush Limbaugh killed? I think it was 1less than Ted Kennedy
tracey marie July 13th, 2015 at 18:46
no, these are not your family members
BigDumbWhiteGuy July 13th, 2015 at 19:19
They’re no more a potential Dylann Roof than you are. Actually, you’re the one I’d be concerned about.
StoneyCurtisll July 13th, 2015 at 21:16
Congratulations…
You made the most ignorant comment I have seen in months..
You even beat out the stupidity spewed out on Youtube.
Tommie July 13th, 2015 at 23:41
And that is very difficult thing to do, since those comments are very disgusting!
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:48
He’s a RWNJ radio bird turd ….Gary McNair
Red Eye Robot July 26th, 2015 at 03:20
Dylann Roof should be denied a gun because a drug offence he wasn’t even convicted of but drug offenders convicted of much worse should be freed from prison. cognitive Dissonance
Obewon July 26th, 2015 at 03:36
“he wasn’t even convicted of”-Indicted Felon Rick Perry is barred from buying Guns & Ammo by Texas law. Fool.
Red Eye Robot July 26th, 2015 at 04:04
First offence drug possession of scheduled 1 & 2 narcotics is a misdemeanor in all 58 states.
Obewon July 26th, 2015 at 10:07
Klansman GOP conservative mass murderer Root’s prior charges include Felony drug possession with intent to distribute Limbaugh’s Hillbilly Heroin that made Rusty the racist deaf.
Red Eye Robot July 29th, 2015 at 07:17
Intent to distribute 3 doses? I think we know who has been sampling the hillbilly heroin
Obewon July 29th, 2015 at 09:20
Even a little pot legally eliminates gun & ammo rights. So you’re defending Racist Root the mass church murderer of 9 prior heroin dealing charges. Deaf heroin addict Rusty the racist Limbaugh ate your brain. Caught with any controlled substance negates gun and ammo possession.
StoneyCurtisll July 26th, 2015 at 03:38
I see you’re up late…
And it took you 12 days to respond.
Put the meth pipe on the ground, and stomp on it~!
whatthe46 July 26th, 2015 at 04:02
watch it, he’ll find you for threatening to take away is drugs. i don’t fk with people and their pipes.
whatthe46 July 26th, 2015 at 03:59
roof, murded 9 innocent people, while not on drugs. and non violent drug offenders arrsted for pot should be released. most are in for just for possession of a joint. and never had a violent bone in their bodies. yet, roof expressed his violence via social media. you must be related by some evil demon to support those mass murdering asswipes as you always find reason to excuse their behavior.
Red Eye Robot July 26th, 2015 at 04:02
Nobody goes to federal prison for possession of a joint.
whatthe46 July 26th, 2015 at 04:03
you’re not black!
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:48
Hey Gary hows it hang…following the Donald…your latest hero ?????
Suzanne McFly July 13th, 2015 at 21:07
The President is showing these people faith, that is something these people may have never received. If they can hang onto that, they will have a chance to make it.
amersham46 July 13th, 2015 at 21:11
Fox will be all over this like ugly on a monkey , or a rug on Donald , which every you prefer
StoneyCurtisll July 13th, 2015 at 21:18
Only 46?…
The number should have been much higher.
whatthe46 July 13th, 2015 at 21:24
doesn’t mean he’s done.
StoneyCurtisll July 13th, 2015 at 22:57
He is doing the right thing…
Should have been done long ago..
Presidents ago.
whatthe46 July 13th, 2015 at 23:00
you’re absolutely right. but, better late than never right. give him some credit. besides, if you think about it, if he had done this before the ’12 election, WOW! i mean, just look at what’s going on with immigrants and how they are creating lies and paranoia, well, especially since ISIS isn’t “really” in our backyards, so lets go after them. he wouldn’t be in this position, maybe, to do this. sometimes, it’s a game of chess. you make the right moves at the right time.
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:47
thousands to go
tracey marie July 13th, 2015 at 21:38
90 total so far
StoneyCurtisll July 13th, 2015 at 22:55
Thats a move in he right direction~!
tracey marie July 13th, 2015 at 23:02
It is indeed.
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:46
HAH PIQUE TA’
robert July 13th, 2015 at 21:24
the picture above has it backwards
LSD could potentially last a lifetime
Kick Frenzy July 14th, 2015 at 01:58
Man, that would’ve saved me a lot of money if it did!
Jon P July 14th, 2015 at 02:18
Not they way you were hoping.
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:46
Been there done that …still waiting
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:45
Yeah right…you have any idea how many of us haven’t gotten our money’s worth yet? Go have a Bud
robert July 14th, 2015 at 07:04
just like anything else
its not what you know its WHO you know
Jon P July 14th, 2015 at 02:21
LOL I don’t think I know a single “progressive” who doesn’t use drugs of some kind. Between alcohol, drugs and “subspace” for those into BDSM, we are one self-medicating society.
Hirightnow July 14th, 2015 at 07:52
Yes, we are; some people need chemicals, some need power, some need religion, but we all want to feel better than everyone else.
As for BDSM….WTF?
(SMDH)
FatRat July 14th, 2015 at 12:46
As for BDSM….WTF?
(SMDH)
There is a documentary about the BDSM insanity caused by Cannabis. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXhSQd_zhnk&feature=youtu.be&t=152.
rg9rts July 14th, 2015 at 04:44
WOW a whole 46 …and how many remain??? Thousands ????
greenfloyd July 14th, 2015 at 07:14
I think the big problem is releasing thousands of prison-radicalized young men and women into America’s Gangsta-culture. What are these people going to do after they get out? How many will go back to gangs, settle scores, traffick in illegal drugs and guns?
Hirightnow July 14th, 2015 at 07:49
How many will try to pick up the pieces of their lives after being sent to prison for what today would net them a ticket? How many of them will try to forget being sent to prison for 20+ years for not turning state’s evidence against someone who DID turn state’s evidence, and received a quarter of that sentence?
We get it;the big scary black man in the White House is releasing big scary black criminals onto your white streets,and it scares you.
Except he isn’t doing that, you know he isn’t, and these people all fit a profile that doesn’t fit into the one you described ( go back to gangs).
greenfloyd July 14th, 2015 at 09:35
There are thousands of people we need to get out of these gd Jim Crow cages,
who don’t belong there and deserve a second, maybe even a third chance.
I am not sure what the national recidivism rate is, but here in Portland area it’s about 60%. Illegal drug and gun dealing are economic lifelines in poor and minority communities with chronic unemployment, where most of these people will probably return to.
Are you afraid of the questions I’ve asked? Or do you consider them offensive in some way? You interjected race into this discussion, not me.
ChrisVosburg July 14th, 2015 at 17:16
GreenFloyd writes of life on the mean streets: here in Portland area…
Ah, that explains a lot of the somewhat, uh, “driven” tone of your comments concerning “gangsta-culture.”
I appreciate that gang activity is a relatively new phenomenon for Portlanders, and as I’m sure you know, it has become all the more pervasive recently, so maybe you can be forgiven letting your fears get the better of you.
Me, I’m from Los Angeles, where gangs are simply part of the background noise. Even so, we’ve nevertheless seen a steady decline in gang activity over the past 20 or so years, and you can read about the reasons (there are many) in this comprehensive piece from Sam Quinones at the Pacific Standard website. Also, nice briefer summary here.
There’s some good advice here on what works and what doesn’t, and I commend it to you and your fair city, along with the mantra:
We Can’t Arrest Our Way Out of This.
Also, ChrisV says RELAX.
greenfloyd July 15th, 2015 at 00:23
Portland is a relatively small city, yet it’s no stranger to Gangsta-culture… it’s widespread throughout the country and of course Mexico and you’ll probably find it in Canada as well.
I think you are living under an illusion about any decline in Gc in the LA area. However, when I get the chance I will review you links, which I do appreciate. Btw, born in Long Beach Ca, jr and sr high school in Compton. Still remember seeing the smoke billowing up from Watts riots in the 1960s as I walked to classes.
I’ve been chanting that “mantra” for a long time also… and I want to get most of the people in jail on “drugs” convictions out asap. But I think we would be foolish and do a disservice not to set the stage first, so Gc won’t be such a major economic force, especially in poor and minority communities.
Just say Omh shanti shanti Omh! :0
greenfloyd July 15th, 2015 at 04:54
That’s a very heady piece of journalism by Sam Quinones… surely “driven” by a passion. It helped me fill in some of the recent past I’ve missed since 30 years gone from the the LA area.
I’m glad to read of the decline in crime and violence, street gangs and blight in places with names I have found memories of. No one can argue with those numbers. However, if we look at street gangs I think we need to see them in a broader context than the individual community. I call this context Gangsta-culture, a complex and vast assembly of many moving parts.
“Scorched earth” or not, the rest of Gc is apparently staying at least one-step ahead of law enforcement, no doubt through the power of corruption and intimidation.
Unfortunately Quinones doesn’t mention how much all this intense law enforcement cost tax payers. I suspect it’s pretty hefty. How many innocent poor people were displaced along with street gangs, creating opportunities for bankers and developers? After all, “Peace unlocks value,” as Quinones concludes.
However all of this is beside the point. The govt giveth Gangsta-culture, and the govt is the only one who can take it away, please!
It’s only my personal opinion, yet I don’t think any analysis of Gc and its component gangs and criminal affiliations can escape the expanding impact of cannabis legalization / liberalization. And by extension all other popular drugs now under control of Gc.
It’s my contention legalization of pot along with the growing consensus that “we can’t arrest our way out…” is having an even greater impact on reducing Gc than heavy-handed law enforcement could ever accomplish. With a net gain in revenues. And without firing a shot!
truthseeker2436577@yahoo.com July 14th, 2015 at 19:35
The status quo doesn’t work, so radical change is needed. Fair sentencing ought to happen in a great degree and there should be alternatives to the War on Drugs (which has failed).