Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Eric Holder Is Pushing Sentencing Reform as He Prepares to Leave the Obama Administration

The attorney general also fielded questions on the new immigration order, marijuana, and the Islamic State, at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

With his tenure nearing its end, Attorney General Eric Holder pushed for policy changes to avoid mandatory-minimum sentences for lesser drug charges, during a speech at the National Press Club Tuesday.

Holder has been pressing sentencing reform since 2013, when he introduced the "Smart on Crime" initiative to reduce sentencing for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders. He backed the success of the policy based on a drop from 64 percent to 51 percent in federally charged drug-trafficking offenses carrying a "mandatory-minimum."

"While old habits are hard to break, these numbers show that a dramatic shift is underway in the mind-set of prosecutors handling nonviolent drug offenses. I believe we have taken steps to institutionalize this fairer, more practical approach such that it will endure for years to come," Holder said Tuesday.

Many Republicans and Democrats in Congress support some version of criminal-justice reform, although to different degrees. The Smarter Sentencing Act, which would reduce mandatory-minimums for some drug offenders, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in January 2014 with broad bipartisan support. However, it's now less likely that any sweeping reform on mandatory-minimums will happen any time soon, as new Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has cited them as one of the causes of reduced crime rates across the country over the past several decades.

During the event's question-and-answer session, Holder also addressed the Texas federal District Court judge's decision to halt the implementation of President Obama's immigration policy.

"We are still in the process of looking at the opinion and trying to decide what steps we make next. The solicitor general will ultimately make that decision in consult with me," Holder said. "It is a decision by one federal District Court judge. ... This, I would view as an interim step in a process that has more to play out."

He also fielded questions on Islamic State militants, particularly on how best to refer to them, a topic on which Republicans have criticized Obama.

"We spend more time talking about what do you call it versus what do you do about it," Holder said, referring to the use of the phrases Islamic extremism or radical Islam. "I'm not sure an awful lot is gained by how we say it. It doesn't have an impact on … the policies we put in place."

On marijuana, Holder welcomed congressional hearings to review the classification of marijuana under federal law. Currently, marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, placing it in the most dangerous of five categories.

"This is a topic that ought to be engaged in by our nation, informed by the experiences we see in Colorado, Washington." Holder said. "There is, I think, a legitimate debate to be had on both sides of that question on where marijuana should be in terms of scheduling."

Holder, who has been attorney general since the beginning of Obama's presidency, announced his retirement last September and is now waiting for the Senate to confirm Loretta Lynch to succeed him before stepping down. Lynch is expected to be confirmed in early March.

NEXT STORY: Developing Managers Versus Leaders

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.