Commuting drug sentences won’t correct problem

Of the 216,000 inmates in federal prisons, about half are behind bars for drug convictions, with many having been punished under outdated — and now generally regarded as overly harsh — sentencing guidelines.

With the federal penitentiary system being roughly 32 percent above capacity, authorities have recognized that major steps must be taken to reduce the population and serve justice.

Early this year, the U.S. Sentencing Commission dramatically lowered recommended sentences for drug offenders, and this summer the commission voted to apply that change retroactively. Based on the guidelines, it is estimated that more than 46,000 inmates would be affected.

A new plan for early release of qualified prisoners went into effect in November, but no prisoners will be freed under the proposal before Nov. 1, 2015. That is, unless the president steps in.

President Obama did just that Wednesday, commuting sentences for eight prisoners convicted of drug offenses and pardoning 12 other convicts imprisoned on other charges.

Among those benefiting from the president’s action is Israel Abel Torres of Dallas, who received a life sentence in 1998, according to The Associated Press.

It is customary for presidents during their final years in office to grant clemency for some individuals, and it is expected that Obama will grant more such petitions during the last two years of his second term.

The White House reports that more than 6,500 people applied for clemency this year, compared with 2,370 last year, the AP said.

Presidential pardons and commutations, while noble, will not make a dent in the numbers of inmates who could qualify under the early release program approved by the Sentencing Commission and endorsed by the U.S. attorney general.

So most prisoners seeking early release will have to make an application to a federal judge, who will determine whether that prisoner would pose a threat to public safety.

The program should proceed with deliberate speed.

This story was originally published December 18, 2014 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Commuting drug sentences won’t correct problem."