Prof. Murray Discusses Nov. 15, 2015, Federal Prisoner Release on WCCO Radio

Professor JaneAnne Murray was interviewed on WCCO News Radio's the John Williams Show about the release of federal inmates planned on November 15, 2015. Dispelling the myth that this would result in a large group of serious inmates suddenly arriving on the streets, she explained that this was a methodical iniative commenced in July 2014 by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and approved by Congress, designed to give current federal inmates the benefit of new sentencing guidelines that lowered the sentences in drug cases. She noted that before any inmate's release was granted, his or her case was individually reviewed by probation officers, prosecutors, and defense lawyers, and recommendations adjudicated by the original sentencing judges. She noted that 2,000 inmate requests to early release have already been denied. In addition, of the 6,000 slated for "release" on November 15, 2,000 will be transfered to Immigration custody, and many of the remaining have already been transfered to community or home confinement. She concluded that this was a positive development to address what she described as the "barbarity" of U.S. mass incarceration.