Pubdate: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 Source: Boston Globe (MA) Copyright: 2015 Associated Press Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340 Website: http://bostonglobe.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52 DRUG INMATES WITH LONG CRIME RECORDS AMONG THOSE FREED EARLY WASHINGTON (AP) - A push to overhaul criminal sentencing is prompting the early release of thousands of federal drug prisoners, including some whom prosecutors once described as threats to society, according to a review of court records. About 6,000 inmates are due to be freed from custody in the coming month, the result of changes made last year to guidelines that provide judges with recommended sentences for specific crimes. Federal officials say roughly 40,000 inmates could be eligible for reduced sentences. Many of them are small-time drug dealers targeted by an approach to drug enforcement now condemned by many as overly harsh and expensive. But an analysis of nearly 100 court cases also identified defendants who carried semiautomatic weapons, had past convictions for robbery and other crimes, moved cocaine shipments across states, and participated in international heroin smuggling. The broad spectrum of defendants granted early release underscores the complex decisions confronting the government. "I'm a law-and-order girl, and I believe that you need to send dangerous people to prison for a very long time," said Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. "But I think that we need to be smart about deciding who are those dangerous people." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom