Obama may grant clemency to "hundreds, perhaps thousands" of nonviolent drug offenders

[mota bhai 2,675]

in his final years in office, Obama ... wants to use his previously dormant pardon power as part of a larger strategy to restore fairness to the criminal-justice system. A senior administration official tells Yahoo News the president could grant clemency to "hundreds, perhaps thousands" of people locked up for nonviolent drug crimes by the time he leaves office — a stunning number that hasn't been seen since Gerald Ford extended amnesty to Vietnam draft dodgers in the 1970s.

The scope of the new clemency initiative is so large that administration officials are preparing a series of personnel and process changes to help them manage the influx of petitions they expect Obama to approve. Among the changes is reforming the recently censured office within the Justice Department responsible for processing pardon petitions. Yahoo News has learned that the pardon attorney, Ronald Rodgers, who was criticized in a 2012 Internal watchdog report for mishandling a high-profile clemency petition, is likely to step down as part of that overhaul. Additional procedures for handling large numbers of clemency petitions could be announced as soon as this week, a senior administration official said, though it could take longer.

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-plans-clemency-for-hundreds-of-drug-offenders--162714911.html

[Danno 1,228]

A man who spends 2 decades at the knee of Rev. Wright has by definition a very keen interest in all things racial, he has other interests as well but no one else could have embraced that type of teaching and made it to the White house or even the Peoples House.

http://www.trinitychicago.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114

[Ban Hammer 12,842]

[mota bhai 2,675]

THIS IS NOT A BENGHAZI THREAD!!!!!!

[Ban Hammer 12,842]

THIS IS NOT A BENGHAZI THREAD!!!!

very true. but that's how i feel about what obama is doing. i agree with him releasing them. saves tax dollars.

[mota bhai 2,675]

very true. but that's how i feel about what obama is doing. i agree with him releasing them. saves tax dollars.

Between this and your acceptance of the LGBT agenda, you're just another lib.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I think it makes perfect sense to pardon those that are doing time for nothing but drug offenses. I am thinking particularly of those that are still doing time for what isn't even considered a crime anymore in some states. Plus, Obama just has to do better offending the right wingers. They need new stuff to get outraged about.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Fiscal responsibility people should get behind this too. Keeping people in jail costs at least $30K a year per person. Get them out and working and paying taxes and buying stuff.

Unfortunately the fiscal responsibility people in the GOP have been overrun by Moral Majority and Tea Partiers.

[Ban Hammer 12,842]

Between this and your acceptance of the LGBT agenda, you're just another lib.

nu uh! i own guns!

[mota bhai 2,675]

nu uh! i own guns!

Yeah, so does Rachel Maddow. Welcome to the club.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Yeah, so does Rachel Maddow. Welcome to the club.

Ooohh. Below the belt! Reported!

[Ban Hammer 12,842]

Yeah, so does Rachel Maddow. Welcome to the club.

i'm a liberal repub

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

i'm a liberal repub

dying species

[Danno 1,228]

very true. but that's how i feel about what obama is doing. i agree with him releasing them. saves tax dollars.

I doubt it saves a penny.

Those who are serving their time are on the whole a lot more likely to be involved in other crimes not to mention fathering more mouths for the state to feed, house educate and then later incarcerate.

The only reason crime rates have dropped is because incarceration rates have risen.

You suggested it would save money, my post is to question the math by the statistical evidence we have available.

At any rate the re-arrect and re-incarceration rate is so high, many will be back in contact with the expensive legal system again within 3 years anyway.

As a question of fairness, it might or might not be worth relooking at some of those convicted and see if another type of sentence would not be better applied.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Zero tolerance for drug offenders. Deport them all, even if they were born here.