President Barack Obama reduced the sentences of 79 more inmates Tuesday, marking his 1,000th commutation — a milestone for his record-setting effort to reverse harsh sentences.
Obama’s administration plans to grant commutations throughout the rest of his presidency, according to White House counsel Neil Eggleston on a call with reporters.
The total commutations are now more than the previous 11 presidencies combined, according to the White House. Of those total commutations, 342 were serving life sentences and 839 have been granted this year.
Obama has previously said he hopes to bring the existing sentences of inmates more in line with current laws, which have been relaxed after an era of strict mandatory minimums mostly related to non-violent drug crimes.
