President Barack Obama will shorten the sentences of eight prisoners serving time for nonviolent drug crimes and pardon 12 ex-convicts, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
The act of presidential clemency is traditional around Christmastime, but Obama’s action is part of his administration’s broader push to roll back harsh mandatory drug sentences that imprisoned people for decades for nonviolent drug crimes. The “tough on crime” drug laws contributed to America’s record of locking up a larger share of its population than any other nation in the world.
Recently, judges have been given more flexibility around mandatory minimums, and in 2010 Congress narrowed the disparity that sent crack dealers to prison for a hundred times longer than cocaine dealers. But those who were incarcerated under the old laws remained there, prompting the Justice Department to announce in April that nonviolent offenders could apply for clemency through a special initiative called “Clemency Project 2014.” Thousands of prisoners have done so, and an outside group of nonprofit lawyers is currently vetting the applications.
Barbara Scrivner, who was serving 30 years for her minor role in her drug-dealer husband’s meth ring, is among the eight prisoners whose sentences were commuted by the president on Wednesday.
The eight prisoners, all of whom have served at least 10 years, will be released in June.
