Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) In an about face from Obama administration’s policies, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered prosecutors to pursue the severest penalties for drug offenders prosecuted by the federal government.
In a new memo, Sessions told all U.S. attorneys to bring back mandatory minimum sentences. His predecessor Eric Holder issued memos that told prosecutors not to feel compelled to seek the most serious charges in every case and to use discretion when charges carried mandatory minimum penalties.
“The attorney general had indicated that he wanted to prosecute more cases in federal court and to seek longer sentences for those that they prosecuted, so it’s not a huge surprise, but it is disappointing,” said President of Families Against Mandatory Minimums Kevin Ring.
Sessions had cited recent increases in crime as a reason to reverse Holder’s actions.
“We’re on a bad trend right now,” Sessions said at an opioid response summit Thursday in West Virginia.
Ring argued the tougher policies will not increase public safety. Not only will the policies drive up the prison population locking up non-violent offenders for long periods, but it will also take resources away from other areas including pursuing terrorists and solving murders.
Only 1 percent of those in prison for federal drug offenses used or threatened violence in the commission of their crime according to Ring.
He added 93 percent of those serving time for drug crimes weren’t the leaders of drug cartels or other violent groups.
“These are targeted at sharks. They get a lot of minnows,” Ring said.
He believes the best way to handle drug offenders is to offer them treatment, not punishment.
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