Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 4-1-16 Edition

White House News
Pres. Obama Issues 61 Commutations
WASHINGTON — Presi- dent Obama commuted the sentences of 61 prisoners on Wednesday, part of an effort to more aggressively use the com- mutation power and call for changes to sentencing laws, particularly with respect to low- level drug offenses.
The White House also an- nounced that Pres. Obama will meet with formerly impris- oned individuals who have been recipients of commutations.
In a blog post, White House Counsel Neil Eggleston said the 61 individuals were in prison under "outdated and un- duly harsh sentencing laws," and "more than one-third of them were serving life sen- tences." During his presidency, Pres. Obama has commuted the sentences of 248 individu- als, "more than the previous six Presidents combined," Eggle- ston said. "And, in total, he has commuted 92 life sentences."
In calling for reform of "overly punitive sentencing policies," Eggleston wrote: "Despite the progress we have made, it is important to re- member that clemency is nearly always a tool of last resort that can help specific individuals, but does nothing to make our criminal justice system on the whole more fair and just."
He added: "So while we con- tinue to work to resolve as many clemency applications as possible — and make no mis- take, we are working hard at this — only broader criminal justice reform can truly bring
justice to the many thousands of people behind bars serving unduly harsh and outdated sen- tences."
Eggleston's comments re- flect the difficulties in revamp- ing the pardon process, which former Pardon Attorney Deb- orah Leff, noted in the letter she wrote when she resigned after less than two years on the job.
In her resignation letter, ob- tained by USA TODAY, Leff said the Pres. Obama admin- istration instructed Justice De- partment attorneys to neglect applications for presidential pardons in order to give prior- ity to the Justice Department's initiative to release low-level of- fenders from prison.
Leff wrote that the adminis- tration's focus on the clemency initiative at the expense of tra- ditional pardons and commuta- tions "means that the requests of thousands of petitioners seeking justice will lie un- heard."
In a letter to Wednesday's re- cipients, Pres. Obama said the power to grant pardons and commutations "embodies the basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance after having made a mistake in their lives that led to a conviction under our laws.”
The number of clemency cases has expanded since the administration announced a new initiative in 2014. As of earlier this week, there were 10,073 clemency cases pending, three times as many as in 2013.
And that doesn't count thou- sands more cases seeking free legal help through the Clemency Project, an outside consortium set up to assist with the initiative.
In her letter, Leff said she fully supports the administra- tion's "groundbreaking and much-needed launch" of the clemency project.
"But given that the depart- ment has not fulfilled its com- mitment to provide the resources necessary for my of- fice to make timely and thoughtful recommendations on clemency to the President, given your statement that the needed staff will not be forth- coming, and given that I have been instructed to set aside thousands of petitions for par- don and traditional commuta- tion, I cannot fulfill my responsibilities as pardon attor- ney," she added.
In his blog post, Eggleston said the White House will host a briefing Thursday on "Life After Clemency," in which "advo- cates, academics, and Adminis- tration officials to discuss and share ideas on the President’s clemency initiative and ways to improve paths to reentry." Re- cipients of commutations will discuss their own experiences during the briefing, he said.
Citing Republican support for sentencing reform, Eggleston said that "Americans across the board acknowledge that the criminal justice system is bro- ken and needs to change.
First Grader Who Sobbed Uncontrollably Over President Leaving Office Gets To Meet Him
Kameria Chayten and her family met President and Mrs. Obama at the White House.
Little Kameria Chayten, who went viral last month when she sobbed uncontrol- lably upon learning that Pres- ident Obama would be leaving office, was all smiles this week as a special guest of the First Family at the White House.
The first grader wrote a let-
ter to President Obama say- ing, “Dear Mr. President, My name is Kameria Chayten. I am in 1st grade. I am an A/B honor roll student. I am left handed just like you. I don’t want you to leave the White House. I want to meet you before you leave the White House.”
TAMPA BAY EXPRESS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP – SERIES 1 SUMMARY
In August of 2015, the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) adopted the Tampa Bay Express (TBX) project into the County’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). As part of the Tampa Bay Express public outreach, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7 is seeking input from neighborhood residents and business owners regarding how Tampa Bay Express will impact adjacent neighborhoods and what mitigation or improvement efforts are desired to meet the neighborhoods’ needs.
Neighborhood workshops are being utilized to allow organizations, individuals, and local agencies to collaboratively explore design solutions to issues facing their community regarding the Tampa Bay Express project.
During the first Workshop Series, neighborhood groups from Downtown Tampa, Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, West River, and Ybor City created lists of neighborhood assets and needs, and then framed their concerns around the Tampa Bay Express project. The local agencies then came together to determine how community goals and current planning efforts aligned with neighborhood needs. To review and comment on the summary report for the first Workshop Series, please visit http://www.tampabayexpress.com/community-engagement/.
During the second Workshop Series, neighborhood groups determined goals and objectives for their neighborhoods and then listed design strategies to address their concerns identified in the first Workshop Series. The second Series has just concluded and summary information will be available shortly and posted to the TampaBayExpress.com website.
The third Workshop Series, which has just begun, will coordinate community-driven design strategies between neighborhoods, FDOT District VII and local agencies to determine potential, neighborhood-specific improvements that can become part of the Tampa Bay Express project.
Please check Tampabayexpress.com for current information and meeting updates or call Chris Speese, Public Involvement Coordinator at (813) 975-6405.
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Chris Speese, Public Involvement Coordinator, at (813) 975-6405, (800) 226-7220 or email: christopher.speese@dot.state.fl.us at least seven (7) days prior to a meeting.
FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A