|
|
| Michigan Gov. Shortens Prison Sentences |
| By Detroit Free Press |
| Published: 10/28/2002 |
|
Gov. John Engler has quietly commuted the sentences of 14 prison inmates -- including nine so-called drug lifers -- this year, a flurry that nearly doubles the prison terms Engler has cut short since taking office in 1991, records show. With more than two months to go before Engler leaves office, the 14 commutations are the most by a Michigan governor in one year since 1973, when Gov. William Milliken commuted 21 murder sentences. Another four drug cases are likely to cross the governor's desk before he leaves office Dec. 31. An Engler administration official said the increase is due largely to 1998 changes in Michigan's so-called drug-lifer law. The revisions allowed hundreds of inmates serving mandatory life terms in drug cases to be considered for release after serving 15 or more years. Many of those applications only recently filtered through the state Parole Board, which then recommended commutation to the governor, said Susan Shafer, the governor's spokeswoman. The governor has the final say on commuting a prison term. She said she did not perceive the 14 commutations as being unusual for Engler. Laura Sager, executive director of the national group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, welcomed the drug commutations. Her group has long opposed Michigan's drug-lifer law which, when enacted in 1978, required mandatory life sentences for people caught in possession of more than 650 grams of narcotics such as cocaine and heroin, regardless of whether they were dealing. The law was the nation's toughest. In addition to the drug lifers released this year, Engler commuted the sentences of two murderers who served more than 25 years behind bars. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think