Holder Backs Shorter Drug Sentences

The Justice Department announced its support Tuesday for a proposal to reduce prison terms for nonviolent drug offenders. By shortening time behind bars, the proposal will save taxpayers an estimated $2.4 billion a year. Attorney General Eric Holder noted that this proposal won’t guarantee shorter sentences for all drug offenders but “strikes the best balance between protecting public safety and addressing the overcrowding of our prison system that has been exacerbated by unnecessarily long sentences.” The U.S. Sentencing Commission will vote on the proposal next month.