On Thursday, President Barrack Obama announced the release of 98 non-violent prisoners, bringing his clemency number to a total of 872 since he became president.
The individuals granted clemency on Thursday were imprisoned for drug crimes. Dozens of them had been sentenced to life imprisonment, meaning they would have died behind bars without Obama’s intervention.
He had granted clemency to 214 federal prisoners in early August and another 111 inmates in late August, shortening the sentences of 325 people in a single month.
With Thursday’s announcement, he has now commuted 200 sentences in the month of October.
“These are individuals — many of whom made mistakes at a young age — who have diligently worked to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated,” White House spokesman Neil Eggleston, said in a statement.
Cynthia Roseberry, the project manager for Clemency Project 2014, said she hoped that Obama’s successor would expand criteria to more people.
“It’s important that the next president continues to grant clemency in this way,” she said.
Source: NBC News/The Huffington Post
