Obama Issues First Commutation of Sentence

Thursday, November 24, 2011
Eugenia Jennings
Eugenia Jennings of Illinois has become the first person to receive a commutation of sentence from President Barack Obama. Jennings was convicted in 2001 of selling 13.9 grams of crack cocaine to a police informant and was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Obama decided to commute her sentence down to 10 years, allowing her to be released next month. Julie Stewart, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, called Jennings original sentence “overkill” for a nonviolent drug offense.
 
A survivor of domestic abuse, Jennings began selling crack to support her three children. She is scheduled to be released on December 21.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
FAMM Commends Obama for Exercising Clemency Power (Families Against Mandatory Minimums)

More of These, Please: Obama's First Commutation (by Jacob Sullum, Reason) 

Comments

Jodie 12 years ago
i don't get why they are dropping some of these cases just for crack users. there are other kinds of drugs that people get mixed up on and get locked up for years when what they really need is drug treatment. knowing from experience, i messed up 8 years ago for methamphetamine from hanging with the wrong crowd. all i needed was drug treatment not federal prison. i did get 3 years out of it, but feel so lucky that i didn't get 20 years like they give all these other people that get arrested once. they are good people it's just the drug is an evil thing.

Leave a comment