46,000 Inmates Get Prison Sentences Reduced

"The U.S. Sentencing Commission on Friday unanimously voted to retroactively reduce prison sentences for drug offenders who are currently serving their terms. The move follows a decision in April to reduce future sentences by about two years, but will soon apply to those already behind bars so long as Congress does not overrule the vote.

Around 46,000 inmates sentenced before Nov. 1,2014 and locked up for nonviolent drug offenses could be eligible for reduced sentences, with releases beginning Nov. 1, 2015. The commission estimates that under the new rules the average prisoner could have his or her sentenced reduced by about 25 months, though they'd likely still serve about 108 months, or nine years.

The move "reduces prison costs and populations and responds to statutory and guidelines changes since the drug guidelines were initially developed, while safeguarding public safety," Judge Patti B. Saris, chair of the Commission in a statement." 

Read more here: http://time.com/3006090/reduced-drug-...