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Congressman Cohen Commends President Obama for Commuting Sentences of 98 Americans Serving Unjustly Long Sentences

October 27, 2016

One Memphian included in today’s commutations

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), who has been the most constant voice in Congress imploring President Obama to use his absolute power to bring about justice through commutations and pardons, today commended President Obama’s decision to commute the sentences of 98 largely non-violent drug offenders, including one Memphian. Today’s commutations represent the President’s continued commitment to using his pardon and commutation powers to right the wrongs of outdated and discriminatory federal policies, and to provide a second chance to deserving individuals. President Obama has granted clemency to 688 prisoners in 2016 -- the most commutations in any single year of U.S. history -- and 872 prisoners during his presidency.

"I commend President Obama for continuing to commute prison sentences for those serving unjustly long sentences for non-violent drug convictions, including that of a Memphian,” said Congressman Cohen. “The record hundreds of commutations issued this year alone are a significant step by President Obama toward a more rational and fair justice system—something I have long encouraged. Not only do our nation’s outdated drug laws disproportionately affect minority populations, but they continue a policy grounded in false premises and political expediency dating back to President Nixon’s ‘Southern Strategy.’ Additionally, it costs more than $30,000 per year to incarcerate each individual. I encourage President Obama to continue to commute more unjust sentences during his remaining time in office.”

Congressman Cohen has repeatedly called on the President to make broader use of his pardon and commutation powers to address injustices, including a February 2016 column in the Commercial Appeal calling for increased staffing at the White House Counsel’s Office to review clemency petitions, a May 2015 column in the Blue Nation Review on the need to bring fairness back to the criminal justice system, a November 2014 column that appeared in The Hill, repeatedly urging then-Attorney General Holder to address the issue, in a letter sent to the President in June 2013, in an August 2013 speech on Capitol Hill and in an August 2013 column that appeared in The Nation.

The Fair Sentencing Act, which was passed by Congress with Congressman Cohen’s co-sponsorship and signed into law by the President in 2010, marked a turning point in our nation’s approach to drug policy and was a crucial step toward eliminating the dramatic and unfair disparity between crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimum sentences. But, as the President has noted, it “came too late” for thousands of people who were sentenced before the law was passed and who are still serving sentences imposed under outdated laws. The bipartisan Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, which passed the House Judiciary Committee in November, would, in part, make the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive. Congressman Cohen is a cosponsor of this bill.

Information from the White House:

*Ferlandis Urben Herod - Memphis, TN

Offense: 1. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; 2. Supervised release violation (conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine); 1. Middle District of Tennessee; 2. Western District of Tennessee

Sentence: 1. Life imprisonment; 2. 24 months' imprisonment (consecutive); 10 years' supervised release (1. July 14, 2005; 2. December 19, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 264 months' imprisonment.