Wisconsin Attorney Says Presidential Commutations Won’t Solve Drug Incarceration Crisis

President Obama’s decision to commute the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug dealers, including one from Wisconsin, is facing criticism from a former federal pardon attorney.

Margaret Love says presidential clemency is not the best way to remedy the harsh sentences that drug dealers like Stephen Donovan of Oak Creek received when the drug war was at its height. Donovan will be released this fall after serving 20 years of a life sentence.

Attorney Love said when there are more than 30,000 inmates seeking clemency, it’s not practical to have the president sort through all of them to solve what is a systemic problem.

“Clemency is fine to shine a light on the problem. But then you have to figure out a way to handle these cases through the established legal process,” said Love. “It’s up to the Justice Department take these cases back to court.”

But Stephen Donovan’s attorney said the president deserves credit for calling attention to the problem.