President Barack Obama commuted the federal prison sentences of 61 drug offenders on Wednesday 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. Obama's commutation shortens their sentences, with most of the inmates set to be released on July 28.
Obama, in a letter to those receiving commutations, said the presidential power to grand commutations and pardons "embodies the basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance after having made a mistake in their lives that led to a conviction under our laws."
Five Texans are among the latest commutations:
Michael W. Morris – Fort Worth , TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute "crack" cocaine base; Southern District of Indiana
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (December 24, 2003)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2016, and supervised release term commuted to five years of supervised release.
Andre Ester – Houston, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Southern District of Texas
Sentence: 300 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (October 25, 2002)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2016.
Curtis Greer – Rosenberg, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base (two counts); Southern District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $5,000 fine (August 21, 2003)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2016, and unpaid balance of the $5,000 fine remitted.
Carol Denise Richardson – Texas City, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (incorrectly described in the judgment as cocaine); possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base; Southern District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 16, 2006)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2016.
Tairone Traniel Stanford – Buna, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance - cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance - cocaine base; Eastern District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 22, 1999)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2016.
In a bid to call further attention to the issue, Obama planned to meet Wednesday with people whose sentences were previously commuted under Obama or Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The White House said the former inmates would share their experiences about the challenges of re-entering society after incarceration.
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, Md., 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.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Most are nonviolent offenders, although a few also faced firearms charges. Nabar Criam of Brooklyn, N.Y., 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 justice system that's "more fair and just."
Though there's wide bipartisan support in Congress for overhauling the criminal justice system, momentum has slowed as the chaotic presidential campaign has made cooperation between Republicans and Democrats this year increasingly difficult.
Obama has long called for getting rid of strict sentences for drug offenses that critics say 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 and expanded the criteria for inmates applying for clemency.
