The Hill reports on the need for sentencing reform following President Obama’s move in December 2015 to commute sentences of 95 people.
“Sandra Avery is one of the 95 lucky men and women whose sentences President Obama commuted Dec. 18. She will walk out of prison in April after serving nine years of a life sentence she should never have received in the first place.
Decades ago, Avery was convicted three times for possessing tiny amounts of crack cocaine for personal use. But she pulled herself together, joined the army, earned an accounting degree, and on leaving the army got a good job. Several years later, her life spun out of control. She married a crack dealer and started using again. Then she and her husband were arrested together for selling crack.”