Obama has commuted the sentences of 872 federal prisoners - more than the 11 previous Presidents combined 

  • Yesterday it was announced 98 prisoners would have their sentences cut
  • President Barack Obama has granted clemency to 688 inmates this year
  • Critics, including Donald Trump, have branded him soft on crime
  • Obama has said that harsh sentencing requirements put prisoners behind bars for far too long

By Dave Burke For Mailonline and Associated Press

Published: 18:37 EST, 27 October 2016 | Updated: 08:26 EST, 28 October 2016

Nearly 100 federal inmates are set to be released early after intervention from Barack Obama - meaning the outgoing President has commuted more sentences than his 11 predecessors combined.

A clemency push has sped up in recent months, and on Thursday 98 had their sentences reduced.

Obama has now cut short the sentences of 872 inmates, including 688 this year. The latest batch included 42 who were serving life sentences, the White House confirmed.

The clemency push has sped up dramatically in Barack Obama's final months as President, and he has now commuted more sentences than the previous 11 presidents combined  

By comparison, George W. Bush granted 11 commutations, and Bill Clinton approved 61. 

The previous 11 presidents, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush, issued 690 between them. Since 1900, the president to grant the most commutations was Woodrow Wilson, Justice Department figures reveal. He approved 264. 

COMMUTATIONS ISSUED BY THE LAST 11 PRESIDENTS 

George W. Bush (2001-2009) - 11

Bill Clinton (1993-2001) - 61

George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) - 3

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) - 13 

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) - 29 

Gerald Ford (1974-1977) - 22

Richard Nixon (1969-1974) - 60

Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969) - 226 

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) - 100

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) - 47 

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) - 118

The administration has said the move recognizes the 'personal stories' behind the sentences, and reflects Obama's belief that onerous sentencing requirements put tens of thousands behind bars for far too long, largely as a result of the 'War on Drugs' in the 1980s and 90s.

But critics, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, have attacked the policy, accusing Obama of being soft on crime. 

At a campaign rally in August, Trump told supporters: 'Some of these people are bad dudes. 

'And these are people who are out, they're walking the streets. Sleep tight, folks.'

The President's White House counsel, Neil Eggleston, said: 'These are individuals - many of whom made mistakes at a young age - who have diligently worked to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated.'

Most of the prisoners had been convicted of nonviolent drug crimes, mostly involving cocaine or methamphetamine. 

'Some of these people are really bad dudes': Presidential candidate Donald Trump hit out at Obama's clemency drive at a campaign rally in August

Some were also serving time for firearms violations in connection to drug trafficking, possession or sales. Almost all are men who come from every corner of the US.

Earlier this month 102 sentences of mostly nonviolent drug offenders were commuted.

These included Lancell Maurice Harris, from Arkansas, who had been jailed for 421 months in 1993 for drug and firearm charges. He is now set to be released in February.

Some of the prisoners will be released early next year, while some will not be freed until as far forward as October 2018.

President Woodrow Wilson, pictured in 1916, granted the most commutations in the 20th century, with 264, but this still leaves him a long way behind Obama

Among those listed for early release is Massachusetts drug dealer Alberto Lopez, who was serving a life term plus six years' supervised release after being convicted of possession and conspiracy charges related to distribution of heroin and cocaine.

He is due to be set free in February next year.

Obama has used the aggressive pace of his commutations to increase pressure on Congress to pass a broader fix to the justice system while using his executive powers to address individual cases where possible.

Obama has said that onerous sentencing requirements put thousands behind bars for too long

Though both parties in Congress have called for a criminal justice overhaul, momentum has mostly petered out, although both Republicans and Democrats agree the issue needs fixing.

Obama has been calling for years for phasing out strict sentences for drug offenses, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. 

With Obama's support, the Justice Department in recent years directed prosecutors to rein in the use of harsh mandatory minimums.

The Obama administration has also expanded criteria for inmates applying for clemency, prioritizing nonviolent offenders who have behaved well in prison, aren't closely tied to gangs and would have received shorter sentences if they had been convicted a few years later.

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