Tag Archives: eric holder

Recent, highly publicized cases of police using deadly force against people of color, including the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. on Aug. 9,  underscore the need for the social work profession to call for reforms in the nation’s law enforcement systems. This issue is important for the profession, which has a long history of working to end all ... Read More »

President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have begun to make good on their promise to reform criminal justice sentencing reform and encourage sensible drug policies. A first step toward sentencing reform began with Holder’s March 13, 2014 announcement of a new policy intended to shorten sentences for certain federal drug offenders. Just weeks later on April 20 Holder announced ... Read More »

On December 19, 2013, President Obama announced his list presidential pardons of persons in the criminal justice system. In addition to the 13 pardons issued, President Obama commuted the prison terms of eight people convicted on federal crack cocaine charges. Most significantly, the president’s stated reason for his decision is that these individuals were punished under laws that permitted unfair ... Read More »