Obama commutes sentences of 102 inmates

© Provided by The Hill Obama commutes sentences of 102 inmates

President Obama on Thursday commuted the sentences of 102 inmates, the White House announced.

Obama has commuted the sentences of 744 individuals, more than the past 11 presidents combined, according to the White House. Thursday's announcement brings the total number granted this year alone to 590.

The latest round of commutations is part of the Obama administration's effort to free prisoners serving lengthy sentences doled out during the government's war on drugs.With just three months left in office, Obama is accelerating the use of his clemency power. Obama in August handed out commutations to 325 inmates - including 214 on Aug. 3, the largest single-day total since 1900.

That alone nearly doubled the number of commutations granted during Obama's presidency.

Obama first launched a clemency initiative in 2014 to review sentences of non-violent drug offenders who would receive shorter prison terms under today's guidelines.

It's part of the president's broader push to reform the criminal justice system.

Facing pressure from reform advocates to pick up the pace of commutations, the administration has tweaked its strategy to accommodate more inmates.

He's shortened some inmates' sentences without immediately releasing them, leaving them years left to serve. That has allowed Obama to grant commutations to prisoners who have committed more serious offenses.

A larger number of inmates convicted of gun charges have received clemency from Obama, according to a USA Today review.