Press Releases

Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) released the following statements after the White House announced the commutation of the sentences of 214 individuals:

“I commend President Obama and Attorney General Lynch for their continued commitment to commuting sentences in appropriate cases,” said Ranking Member Conyers. “Such cases underscore the need to change our sentencing laws to reduce the imposition of unjustly long and counterproductive sentences in the first place.  I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to develop and adopt bipartisan legislation to reform our sentencing laws and to improve other aspects of our criminal justice system. I look forward to congressional action on these issues before the end of this Congress.” 

“I am encouraged by President Obama’s commutation of sentences of 214 individuals today – who were all victims of unjust sentencing,” said Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Jackson Lee.  “Nearly all of these men and women would have been released and contributing back to society already had they been convicted under today’s laws or reform proposals. I welcome and applaud the commutations of the sentences of these individuals.  Incarcerating people for unwarranted lengths of time serves no constructive purpose.  The President has recognized this, as has Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and I hope the Administration’s Clemency Project will continue to address the multitude of cases in which sentence reductions are appropriate.”