Around 6,000 federal prisoners will be released by the U.S. Justice Department soon in an effort to alleviate overcrowding in prisons, according to The New York Times.
The prisoners will be released from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 of this year. They will be moved from prison into halfway houses under the guidance of the Bureau of Prisons. The early release is possible through a change in the sentencing laws that put these offenders in jail. The United States Sentencing Commission drafted new guidelines in April to reduce penalties for nonviolent drug crimes.
The soon-to-be-released inmates were all convicted of drug crimes. Under the new guidelines, tens of thousands of federal prisoners could qualify for early release, according to The Associated Press. The new program calls for a judge to review each case to determine whether or not early release of the convict is safe for the public. Most of the eligible prisoners have served at least 10 years already.
"This has has actually been a years-long process that has kept public safety in the forefront at every step," spokesperson for Families Against Mandatory Minimums Mike Riggs said, according to USA Today. "Every person who is released will be supervised by probation officers. The people who received re-sentencing are not simply being turned loose."
