John is a 68 year old nonviolent marijuana offender who received two life terms plus twenty for a marijuana offense. He is a first time offender. John has been incarcerated for a few months short of 20 years, He has petitioned President Obama for a Commutation of his sentence to time served.
The incarceration of nonviolent marijuana offenders for life is a waste of taxpayer money and is not compatible with civil liberties.
Nonviolent marijuana offender who are serving sentences of life without parole and have served 10 years could receive commutations without endangering the safety of any community they are returned to.
Releasing these nonviolent marijuana offenders would save tens of millions of dollars and would help restore faith in the criminal justice system. It is obvious that these are sentences that do not fit the crime.
Most all of the nonviolent marijuana offenders who received these sentences were charged with conspiracy and elected to exercise their Sixth Amendment Right to trial. This is how these sentences are given.
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