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President Obama Commutes Sentence Of Indiana Man

By Gretchen Frazee

Posted July 14, 2015

Barack Obama

President Obama commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent offenders Monday, including a man from Gary, Ind., saying they were given unduly harsh sentences.

Gary resident Walter R. Dennie was given a 20 year sentence in 2002 for two counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

The president's decision allows his sentence to expire November 10 of this year.

In a letter written to each of the 46 men and women, Obama explained his reasoning.

"I am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around," he writes. "Now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity."

As NPR reports, Obama has issued nearly 90 commutations during his presidency. Most of those were to nonviolent drug offenders.

NPR's Carrie Johnson tells our Newscast unit the White House will focus this week on sentencing reform. It is expected to be a topic Tuesday when Obama addresses the NAACP's annual conference in Philadelphia, and on Thursday when he visits a federal prison in Oklahoma.

Carrie adds that most of those whose sentences were commuted Monday faced at least 20 years behind bars; 14 of them had been prepared to spend the rest of the lives incarcerated, Obama said.



Indiana recently implemented criminal justice reform aimed to keep more nonviolent offenders at the local level, instead of sending them to state prisons.

The changes have gone into effect, but their large-scale implications likely won't be evident for some time.

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