Obama cuts prison sentences for 61 drug offenders, including 1 Hawaii man
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama walked into Busboys and Poets in Washington, today, with a group of formerly incarcerated individuals who had previously received commutations.
WASHINGTON » President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentences of 61 drug offenders today including more than a third serving life sentences, working to give new energy to calls for overhauling the U.S. criminal justice system.
All of the inmates are serving time for drug possession, intent to sell or related crimes. Most are nonviolent offenders, although a few were also charged with firearms violations. Obama’s commutation shortens their sentences, with most of the inmates set to be released on July 28.
At least one of the inmates is from Hawaii. David Lang Akana, from Pahala, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Feb. 2006 on cocaine and methamphetamine charges. With today’s commutation, his sentence is set to expire on July 28, 2016.
Obama, in a letter to the inmates receiving commutations, said the presidential power to grand commutations and pardons “embodies the basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance.”
One of the inmates, Jesse Webster of Chicago, is serving a life term for intent to sell cocaine and filing false tax returns. Another, Byron McDade of Bowie, Maryland, got 27 years for cocaine-related charges as well. In both cases, judges in the cases later said publicly it was too harsh, though sentencing guidelines often prevent judges from being more lenient. Webster and McDade will both be released later this year.
Most are nonviolent offenders, although a few also faced firearms charges. Nabar Criam of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 15 years for possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, but received an additional charge for having a gun on hand during a drug trafficking crime.
The latest tranche of commutations brings to 248 the total number of inmates whose sentences Obama has commuted — more than the past six presidents combined, the White House said. The pace of commutations and the rarer use of pardons are expected to increase as the end of Obama’s presidency nears.
“Throughout the remainder of his time in office, the president is committed to continuing to issue more grants of clemency as well as to strengthening rehabilitation programs,” said Neil Eggleston, the White House counsel, in a blog post.
He added that clemency is a tool of last resort that can help specific people, but doesn’t address the broader need for a “more fair and just” system and “fix decades of overly punitive sentencing policies.”
In a bid to call further attention to the issue, Obama met for lunch today with people whose sentences were previously commuted to hear about the challenges of re-entering society. One of the former inmates, Kemba Smith, was seven months pregnant when she turned herself in on crack cocaine charges, and she served more than 6 years before former President Bill Clinton granted clemency in 2000. She went on to study social work and become an advocate, the White House said.
“Their stories are extraordinary,” Obama said after dining at a Washington eatery. “We’re all imperfect. We all make mistakes.”
Though there’s wide bipartisan support for a criminal justice overhaul, what had looked like a promising legislative opportunity in Obama’s final year has recently lost steam. As with Obama’s other priorities, the din of the chaotic presidential campaign has increasingly made cooperation among Republicans and Democrats in Congress this year a non-starter.
Last month, a group of Senate Republicans declared their opposition to the legislation Obama and some conservatives had been pushing, dealing a major blow to prospects of getting it done this year. A key Senate committee had already approved the bipartisan bill, which would let judges hand out lesser sentences more lenient than the federal mandatory minimums and eliminate mandatory life sentences for drug offenders caught three times. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has said the overhaul is doable but doesn’t have to get done in 2016.
Obama has long called for getting rid of strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and sky-high incarceration rates. With Obama’s support, the Justice Department in recent years has directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.
The Obama administration has also expanded criteria for inmates applying for clemency, targeting nonviolent offenders who have behaved well in prison and would have received shorter sentences if convicted of the same crime a few years later. Civil liberties groups hailed that move but have since raised concerns that too few are actually receiving clemency under the policy.
Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
The Star-Advertiser contributed to this report.
78 responses to “Obama cuts prison sentences for 61 drug offenders, including 1 Hawaii man”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
“”””Obama has long called for getting rid of strict sentences for drug offenses”””””
Thank goodness he’s out of office at the end of the year.
So has Rand Paul.
I guess you don’t see a problem with spending taxpayer dollars to turn low level drug offenders into actual hardened criminals.
Yes, it costs money to house people in prison. But many many crimes are rooted in the illegal drugs industry. I don’t think legalizing drugs is the way to go either.
What should be done is to allow the judges more discretion in sentencing rather than having black and white sentencing guidelines. Then a judge can determine whether to impose a hard sentence or to be lenient because the likelihood of reform seems possible.
So you agree with Obama but criticize him for the same policies you want?
That is a big sign of Obama Derangement Syndrome.
I don’t agree with O’bama. If we feel that the penalties are too harsh, then change the law to allow judges more discretion in sentencing rather than mandatory 20 years sentences (for example).
Selling drugs to kids might be non violent but very damaging.
So you actually DO agree with Obama and pretend you don’t only to criticize him.
And you are clearly infected with Obama Derangement Syndrome.
When someone claims not to agree with Obama yet repeats the argument Obama gives, one has to question the sanity of that person.
I don’t know about the ones who have been pardoned. But, overall the war on drugs and the sentencing (such as 3 strikes) have been an utter failure. Prison populations are at an all time high, with most of the increase due to non-violent drug offenses. In other words, the sentencing has failed to curb the activities. I believe you have to cut demand, then supply withers, not the other way around.
If Sheriff Joe was running the prisons we wouldn’t have all these repeat offenders. Obama is lucky he didn’t get busted.
ONe cannot help but wonder how many who voted for the current occupant of the White House would have done so if they realized that releasing convicted felons into the general population was what he meant by “transformation”.
Pity the needless number of young people who will have their lives destroyed by addiction thanks to this reckless action.
Thanks to the heroin now flooding into our country, these convicted felons have any number of career opportunities awaiting for them in the burgeoning, lucrative drug trade industry.
Sarge, what? Would you please explain. Are you saying because of his methods, the recidivism rate would be lower? Because the articles I’ve read say it’s the same.
Thos, are you saying heroin wasn’t coming into the country before?
On March 30, 2016 at 1:08 pm, advertiser1 asks: “Thos, are you saying heroin wasn’t coming into the country before?”
Not like it is now. Just look at the sudden spike in heroin supply and OD fatalities in, for example, New Hampshire in this year alone.
Dope importers are flooding the zone with dope and they’ll need legions of new recruits to populate the growing middle management slots needed to procure, transport and deliver.
These newly convicted felons will find such lucrative opportunities – – for which they have been so well trained – – very difficult to pass up.
“Low level drug offenders”? Been on the street much choydog? These are the people that turn our keiki and neighbors into addicts. Addicts wreak havoc and ruin families. I would agree that our justice system is broken but if incarceration is not the answer then we need some other form of punishment to make criminals accountable to victims past and present.
It’s called mandatory rehab. Much cheaper and much more effective but doesn’t have the same “tough on crime” that is bleeding state budgets across the country ring to it.
Do you have any evidence that Akana provided cocaine and meth to “keiki”? People who make the “but think of the children” argument always tend to be the most disingenuous folks who never stand on the side of the facts. They just want to appeal to emotion to make themselves “feel” like the good guy. I don’t know about you, but all of the hard drug users that I’ve met have all been adults who made their own bad choices to get involved with drugs. They are responsible for their own actions, and it’s their own fault for becoming addicts. If Akana was dealing hard drugs, then he deserves to spend time in prison for it because it does ruin people’s lives. But 20 years is still a ridiculously long time for drug dealing. Maybe if he was dealing to kids, then I could accept giving the guy 20 years, but you haven’t shown any facts that he did, and I doubt Obama would cut the guy’s sentence in half if he did. He’s still doing 10 years in prison, which is still a long time, so I don’t see why this is something to cry about. Some people just want to have a reason to hate Obama. LOL.
choydog, it is not always about the money spent on prisons. I can tell you first hand what a relief it was to have my brother in law finally put in prison. He was stealing stuff from everyone, sold the plane ticket to rehab, and was literally extorting his own father and threatening his wife. We were hoping he would od or end up dead in Chinatown.
RichardCory, if you are replying to me you apparently don’t read good. LOL to you to. I am not singling out Akana but yes drug dealers. There is also no mention of Obama. If YOU believe that ANYONE promoting illegal drugs is a minor offense you have a shallow mind. Look beyond just the drug selling and getting high for kicks and see the collateral damage that occurs. It’s in the news every day unless you have no comprehension of what you are reading.
Can you not screwing up my name?
You really don’t want me to start treating you like I treat thos or Winston.
If your relative was a violet offender, that is not who we are talking about.
Reply to what is written, not your own fabrication.
choydung, what is a violet offender?
Let’s get it on. Awesome
I doubt that O’Blunder knew enough about all these cases to be able to give blanket approvals to lift their sentences.
Choyd said: “”Can you not screwing up my name?””
And you talk about people here struggling to graduate 2nd grade?
Some of these guys are not low level offenders. Anyone in a meth, cocaine or heroin ring deserves a long sentence, especially when they have a firearm.
On March 30, 2016 at 9:46 am choyd says: “You really don’t want me to start treating you like I treat thos or Winston. If your relative was a violet offender . . . ”
Well my little choydnik, that is hardly to be taken as a threat. In all of the miniature brick bats you seek to hurl my way you are digging that hole you are in deeper and deeper. Indeed when it comes to marginalizing oneself without provocation, you are in a class by yourself. To those thus “threatened” by my little choydnik I would suggest you respond “treat away and good luck to you.”
Now as to your fanciful turn of words in re “a violet offender . . . ” is that meant to convey the notion of someone who stomps on a helpless nosegay of flowers or is it perhaps a reference to one who is, as they say, a bit light in the loafers, hmmmmmmmmmm?
make sure they are not violent
They will be vetted as thoroughly as all the incoming refugees.
It’s entirely possible President Obama was thinking something along the lines of “There but for the grace of God go I” as he was affixing his signature to each commutation. Then again, probably not.
I hope you were right on your first thought…and not Allahu Akbar.
What so far does not seem to be evident in this thread is any awareness that a great many of these “mere drug dealers” are in fact very vicious and violent offenders who – – for the sake of overloaded court dockets – – were allowed to plead down to a lesser offense.
Go on and let these gaunt, slavering wolves out to prey on the lambs and you will soon learn new meaning for the word “regret”.
OK. Then let’s put Mr. Akana under the spotlight. If he can behave himself and live drug-free, then great. If not, then 40 years instead of 20.
Sounds reasonable for a second chance…as long as this is actually his second chance and not number 18 on a rap sheet.
LOL!
Sends wrong message to other drug dealers that the government is weak….
As if the legalization of drugs at the same time didn’t send the message the government is bipolar…
Perhaps if we didn’t have limited resources this wouldn’t be a problem. And perhaps if incarcerating drug offenders with hardened criminals didn’t turn those drug offenders into hardened criminals this wouldn’t be a problem. And perhaps if society didn’t think locking up someone for 20 years for having 1 oz of marijuana three times wasn’t a problem. And perhaps if celebrities who got caught with drugs actually got the same punishments as regular folks, this wouldn’t be a problem.
But hey, let’s just raise taxes to feed the prison industry despite the fact that mass incarcerating non-violent drug users is one of the dumbest things we’ve done as a society in the past 30 years. America’s drug problems reached its stage because of the connections that low level drug users made with actual big time narcos in prison in vastly expanding the distribution network.
Rand Paul is right that we need serious reform of the judicial system in how we deal with incarceration of nonviolent drug users. But I know that Libertarians are outright hated by the Republicans here.
these nonviolent guys are the ones that break into our homes, cars and steal from us all. they are the reason why we don’t feel safe leaving things in our cars, or houses. The mental anguish they cause from violating places where we are supposed to feel safe lasts forever.
Burglary is considered a crime of violence, so your point is entirely moot since drug users convicted of burglary aren’t going to be considered non-violent offenders. Look it up on Google. It’s seriously the first result after googling: burglary crime of violence. Do you people even try?
RichardCory, it’s SA’s forums.
Most people here would struggle to graduate from 2nd grade. We know for a fact very few of them even bother with independent thought much less independent research.
Remember, this is the home of people who think that “pollution is a democrat myth” and “astronomy and geology are a religions.” It’s really quite embarrassing how dumb people here are.
RichardCory, Again so shallow. You Google a single word and think you are the master of vocabulary and comment. Google empathy then. Can’t you comprehend what Goodday is conveying? Mental anguish can be worse than a physical beat down and lasts forever in the mind of a victim.
choydung, it’s SA’s forums. Full of narcissistic addicts who come for their fix of name calling and patronizing. How does it gratify you?
Choyd said: “”Most people here would struggle to graduate from 2nd grade. We know for a fact very few of them even bother with independent thought much less independent research. “”
Would those who struggle to gradate 2nd grade include yourself? Your maturity level isn’t quite there yet.
This is an opinion forum Nowhere in the rules does it say someone has to do independent research in order to comment. If that bothers you, there are other places you can go to participate in discussions.
RichardCory – Burglary is not a crime of violence, except in very, VERY rare instances under the ACCA, when the burglary was committed with the intent of physical harm. It is a property crime. I’m a lawyer, so I don’t need Google.
Richard, you’re confusing burglary and robbery. You don’t need to sport a law degree to know the difference.
I beg your pardon.
I guess I am a slow learner–I just saw him on TV (as usual) giving a blasting talk on drug abuse. Now, he’s commuting sentences on the dealers????? I don’t like taxpayer money being spent on convicts in jail, but I sure don’t like to see these people running loose. I wonder if Sheriff Joe would expand his desert prison??? There has got to be a way of cutting prison expenses–that’s where the efforts should go!!!
“””There has got to be a way of cutting prison expenses–that’s where the efforts should go!!!”””
Shut down the ACLU
The ACLU protects everyone. Even imbeciles.
I guess klastri should know.
@ MililaniGal LOL Good one!
The capture by the cops, the court trials, prosecution witnesses,….but the question still remains. What is sufficient punishment? It’s not just about saving tax payer money but accountability to society. Almost everyone I talk to has first hand experience to speak of and the relief of having the druggy incarcerated and removed from taking the family down. Nothing is sacred or out of bounds to an addict wanting a hit.
Eh Barry, it was just a little weed, you should know how that goes better than most. Choom!
In 1994, in an interview with journalist Dan Baum, John Erlichman, former domestic policy advisor to Richard Nixon, explained the creation of the drug war this way: “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
Meanwhile/all the while, he’s looking for ways to restrict prescription drugs for people with chronic pain… go figure
Of course … you believe the President played any role whatever in opioid prescription guideline development? Obama Derangement Syndrome at its finest!
He is responsible for what happens or what the federal government does or does not do during his terms.
Um, what about congress and the judicial branch?
Klastri..a hiLIARy supporter…on another news site said “OBAMACARE is the BEST law Obama passed..should be on his LEGACY”.
His friends have to get drugs somewhere!
Truly, this moron fancies himself some kind of King. Just a few months more and His Majesty’s reign of power grabbing, arrogance, and punishing his political enemies will come to a most welcome end. It will be a special day, indeed, for celebration and rejoicing. At the same time, it will mark the beginning of a long slog, trying to regain some semblance of respect from the rest of the world, among a great many other things.
I’m going to take a wild guess that you haven’t ever read the Constitution. Except maybe the Second Amendment. Am I right? The President has the absolute power of pardon and commutation.
Maybe you should read it yourself, or get someone to help you understand the bigger words:
“The President . . . shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
(Article II, Section 2, Clause 1)
The power to pardon is one of the least limited powers granted to the President in the Constitution. The only limits mentioned in the Constitution are that pardons are limited to offenses against the United States (i.e., not civil or state cases), and that they cannot affect an impeachment process.
I have mixed feelings about this. I believe that war on drugs is not winnable and the process has resulted in more violent crimes. On the other hand I see situations like the one reported in today’s SA about a driver high on drugs killing someone and “only” getting a ten year sentence. So as a society are we going down the road of saying it’s okay to use drugs and it’s also okay to kill people while high on drugs? Seems to me that, if we allow the use of drugs, we should also increase the penalties for the consequences. The alternative is a further reduction in accountability which started decades ago when we became a society of victims.
On March 30, 2016 at 10:10 am, AhiPoke says:”I have mixed feelings about this. I believe that war on drugs is not winnable”
That is because we have never WAGED a war on drugs, which is itself is a term used to cloud the issue. The enemy is not dope, but those who USE dope.
Any real war to be effective will have as its primary goal the eradication of users.
Mao Tse Tung did wage a real war beginning 67 years ago. When his Communist forces routed the Kuomintang, one of Mao’s first concerns was what was arguably THE most opium addicted populace on the planet. Three years later, no more dope trafficking and no more dope users.
How did he do it?
He declared a six month amnesty. Anyone volunteering for “treatment” – – ie. six months behind the wire, cold turkey – – would be spared. After that anyone caught growing/producing/transporting/dealing/selling/using was immediately declared guilty of a capital crime and dispatched forthwith.
Until we muster the cojones to do likewise all our efforts to curb – – let alone eliminate – – the scourge of dope will go down in flames.
Dope is powerful enough to defeat any number of feel good euphemisms without breaking a sweat.
Why don’t we tract the action on second chances and give the president, and policy , a grade ..accountability; so we can either improve or eliminate this policy….. also the total cost should be discussed catching felon, courts cost ,lawyers , ect. vs only housing costs …
Hope SA will follow up a year from now and see how’s David Akana is doing?………I will light a candle and pray for him.
We all make mistakes? There is a difference between breaking the law and a typo Mr. President.
Pardons “embodies the basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance.” Somehow I think the second chance for this group is somewhere in the rearview mirror.
After reading all these comments, I am amazed. How did Obama win election in Hawaii by such a large margin. No one seems to like him.
But back to my comment on this subject. I wonder what Obama will feel about non-violent drug dealer. who one day may give/sell drugs to his daughters. How the worm will turn.
Or can you imagine what would happen if someone in his family is killed or hurt by a jihadist bomb. According to Obama, extremist Islamic jihadists do not exist. Do you believe his views would be the same today, if his daughters were among the people hurt at the Boston Marathon bombing.
Logic and common sense are not liberal strong points. And btw, you just upset liberals like klastri & choyd to name a few who will call you names because they’ve run out of excuses in “trying to defend the indefensible”!
Keep up the good work MG!!!
Related to your last paragraph. Obama’s position is to separate Islam and Extremists. We are not in conflict with Islam, we are in conflict with Extremists.
Feral, blood thirsty, barbaric Islamic predators LOVE it when a “news” media outlet gushes forth with this line of absolute malarkey, and all in the idiotic belief they are “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.”
Anyone who believes it is possible to distinguish between Islam and hate-driven, death dealing murderers is a [obscene gerund redacted] idiot, that and a walking target. Islam COMMANDS its followers to wage unrestricted warfare on the infidels.
Bottom line: enabling a mortal enemy at a time when a formidable threat is growing every week is short sighted indeed.
The west has been in conflict with the middle east for over a thousand years. I don’t think the extremist plans are to take over the world. Additionally, how is, the “west” and its Judeo-Christian societies any different than what the extremists are doing? We’ve killed thousands of middle eastern civilians have we not?
“The west has been in conflict with the middle east for over a thousand years. I don’t think the extremist plans are to take over the world.”
Your problem can be found in the first three words of that second sentence.
“how is, the “west” and its Judeo-Christian societies any different than what the extremists are doing? We’ve killed thousands of middle eastern civilians have we not?”
Your attempt to avoid the clear distinction between good and evil in favor of “it’s all relative” is a dog that won’t hunt. We Americans do not behead and crucify children nor do we drown or burn people in cages as a matter of policy. When we evangelize, it is not down by the sword. The name of OUR dominant religion does NOT mean “submit”.
adv1, Related to your last paragraph. Once they allowed to live among you how do you differentiate and identify one from the other?
Obama is now sending out the wrong message. It’s okay to deal drugs and stuff. No worry your prison sentence if any will be light. What an idiot.
Let’s put this in perspective, according to the Dept of Justice in 2014 there were 6.85 million people incarcerated, 61 had their sentences commuted…61, that’s .00089% of the total population. I don’t think that’s an ok to deal drugs.
Thank you for that perspective, that amount is also more than the last 6 presidents combined. Let’s hope for the best.
https://www.propublica.org/article/obama-has-granted-clemency-more-rarely-than-any-modern-president
Older article, but the tl;dr is
Reagan 33%
GHWB 6%
WJC 12%
GWB 3%
BHO 2%
Maybe releasing non-violent marijuana USERS is okay. But, releasing drug DEALERS who were selling cocaine, heroin, crystel meth, and other hard drugs is a big mistake. Those kind of people need to be punished severely to send a message to all drug dealers that they will all end up in prison for a long time.