Obama Has Commuted the Sentences of More Inmates Than Previous 10 Presidents Combined

For some reason, this doesn’t seem like a feel good story to me. I am not a fervent believer in the drug laws, especially those that send away street pharmacists for 20 years. He isn’t freeing these poor lads, but instead greatly reducing their sentences. You can sift through the rubble here. The vast majority of these criminals are in fact street pharmacists.

Today’s 111 commutation grants underscore the President’s commitment to using his clemency authority to provide a second chance to deserving individuals. To date, President Obama has granted 673 commutations: more commutations than the previous ten presidents combined. More than one-third of the President’s commutation recipients, or 232 individuals, were serving life sentences.

We must remember that these are individuals — sons, daughters, parents, and in many cases, grandparents — who have taken steps toward rehabilitation and who have earned their second chance. They are individuals who received unduly harsh sentences under outdated laws for committing largely nonviolent drug crimes, for example, the 35 individuals whose life sentences were commuted today. For each of these applicants, the President considers the individual merits of each application to determine that an applicant is ready to make use of his or her second chance.

While I expect that the President will continue to grant commutations through the end of this administration, the individualized nature of this relief highlights the need for bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation, including reforms that address excessive mandatory minimum sentences. Only the passage of legislation can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure our federal sentencing system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety.

Opinion? Is he power grabbing, over-stepping the boundaries of the executive branch or is he St. Obama? Am I being too cynical or is this gigantic leap in Presidential commutations more Manchurian candidate shit from Obama?