U.S. - Trump Slams 'Very Unfair' Drug Sentences

S.J.B.

S.J.B.

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Trump Slams 'Very Unfair' Drug Sentences
Jacob Sullum
Reason
October 17th, 2018

Kanye West's literal embrace of Donald Trump was all over the news last week. The president's rhetorical embrace of criminal justice reform got considerably less attention but may prove more consequential.

In an interview with Fox News on the morning of his meeting with the rap impresario, Trump signaled that he was ready to go beyond "back end" reform, which focuses on rehabilitation of inmates, and support "front end" reform, which focuses on reducing sentences and sending fewer people to prison. The key to understanding Trump's remarks is Alice Marie Johnson, whose sentence the president commuted in June at the behest of West's wife, Kim Kardashian.

Johnson, a first-time offender who received a life sentence in 1996 for participating in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization, has described herself as "a telephone mule, passing messages between the distributors and sellers." While serving nearly 22 years in federal prison, she became a grandmother and great-grandmother, an ordained minister, and a mentor to other inmates.

Although it took the intercession of a fellow reality TV star for Trump to free Johnson, he clearly was impressed by her story. More important, he recognizes that Johnson, whom he calls "the most incredible woman," is not unique in receiving an absurdly disproportionate sentence for a nonviolent crime.

"You have many people like Mrs. Johnson," Trump said on Fox News. "There are people in jail for really long terms."
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I think an end to mandatory minimum sentences is an issue with broad support that can pass through Congress even in the highly partisan political atmosphere
 
are these the first compassionate noises trump has made in his time as prez so far?


jeez - there are no elections looming are there? :?
 
As I've mentioned before, I don't think Trump really cares about drugs. It looks like he happened to be swayed towards a more lenient view on this particular topic based on a conversation he had with Kanye West and/or Kim Kardashian. Unfortunately it is likely fleeting and certainly not something he will put much energy into, but hey, it's better than the last time he got briefly focused on drugs and wanted dealers given the death penalty.
 
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