Download This PaperMemo to the President: Two Steps to Fix the Clemency Crisis
University of St. Thomas Law Journal, Vol. 17, 2020
U of St. Thomas (Minnesota) Legal Studies Research Paper No. 20-03
31 Pages Posted: 10 Jun 2020
Date Written: May 15, 2020
Abstract
Federal clemency is in crisis. Over 13,000 petitions languish in a broken system. The current federal review process is strikingly bureaucratic and embedded deep within the Department of Justice. This essay proposes a two-step plan to fix the mess. Whoever is sworn in on January 20, 2021 should heed these simple directives and avoid the clemency trap that the last several presidents have stumbled into.
Keywords: clemency, pardon, commutations, Biden, Trump, mass incarceration, criminal law, sentencing
JEL Classification: K14
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Mark William Osler (Contact Author)
University of St. Thomas - School of Law (Minnesota) ( email )
MSL 400, 1000 La Salle Avenue
Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 55403-2005
United States
(254) 717-7032 (Phone)
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
