7 Carolinians among 95 drug offenders commuted by President Obama
Seven Carolinians are among 95 federal prisoners whose sentences were commuted by President Barack Obama on Friday as part of a effort to reexamine the criminal justice system that critics say has ended in harsh and expensive punishments for thousands of drug offenders.
The seven prisoners from the Carolinas were all convicted of drug charges and will be released on April 16. Obama’s commutation were the most he’s done at one time, and will benefit nonviolent drug offenders – most serving long sentences for crack and cocaine crimes.
The president’s announcement comes during a bipartisan push in Congress to ease steep punishment for nonviolent crimes. Obama has said he is using his clemency power to correct what he says was excessive punishment meted out during a time when elected officials were eager to be tough on crime that resulted in disproportionate sentences for minor criminals.
Two are from the Charlotte region.
One of them, Michael McRae of Wadesboro, was convicted in May 2006 and sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He’d served nine years of that life sentence when he got word Friday that he’d be set free in April.
He called his Aunt Minnie McRae in Wadesboro mid-afternoon Friday.
“He told me he’s getting out soon and said ‘I need some place to stay.’ He wondered if he could come here,” said Minnie McRae, sister of Michael’s late father. “I told him ‘you’re sure welcome to come here.’ He was real excited.”
The aunt believes her nephew got caught in a wrong crowd and “got caught in a trap.” She said she was stunned when she heard he’d been given a life sentence. “We’ve always thought that sentence didn’t fit the crime – that it was way more than it should have been. I guess the president agreed with us.”
Over the years, Michael called his aunt infrequently and wrote cards.
She believes prison has matured him. “I believe he’s learned right from wrong,” she said. “From the cards he’s sent it sure seems he’s turned his life around. He told me today he had learned his lesson.”
The other prisoner from the Charlotte region is Alphonso Ravon Morrison of Lincolnton, convicted in May 2001 and sentenced to life for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and cocaine base.
In July, Obama freed 46 nonviolent drug offenders, bringing his total of commuted sentences at that time to 89. With Friday’s commutations, he’s commuted the sentences of 184 drug offenders. That’s far more than the combined number granted by his four predecessors. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "7 Carolinians among 95 drug offenders commuted by President Obama."