Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds DOJ Clemency Process for People Sentenced under Inhumane and Outdated Drug Laws

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Deputy Attorney General James Cole announced a formal executive clemency process for people incarcerated with overly punitive sentences:

“With today’s announcement, the Justice Department is taking a smarter and more practical approach to criminal justice issues.  By creating a process to consider sentence reductions for people incarcerated under inhumane and outdated sentencing laws, the administration is taking measured steps to implement smart policy that honors human dignity.

The War on Drugs has created a modern day caste system in America where millions of people –disproportionately African Americans and Latinos – are imprisoned for an unconscionable length of time at a significant cost to the nation.

But the administration can only do so much on its own; we echo Deputy Attorney General Cole’s call to our nation’s legal community to assist candidates in navigating this application process.

We thank the Department of Justice for its leadership on this issue and urge the legal community to answer the call to volunteer their services to potential candidates for clemency.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.