Obama Floods United States With Record Number Of Convicted Felons On Wednesday, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 214 federal inmates, including 67 inmates who were serving life sentences. This marked the largest single-day action of its kind since 1900, and brings Obamas total for the year to 375. Throughout his presidency, Obama has commuted the sentences of 562. That number surpasses the combined total number of sentences commuted by the nine presidents before him. Were going to keep our foot on the gas pedal when it comes to reviewing applications for clemency, White House counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a blog post. Our work is far from finished. I expect the president will continue to grant clemency in a historic and inspiring fashion. In 2014, the Obama administration launched an initiative to review sentences of drug offenders who were sentenced to harsher terms than they would like to receive under sentencing guidelines. Legislation has been introduced in Congress to reduce sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, but it is not likely it will pass in the pre-election weeks after Congress returns from recess. Many people will use words today like leniency and mercy, Kevin Ring, the vice president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a statement. But what really happened is that a group of fellow citizens finally got the punishment they deserved. Not less, but, at long last, not more. What do you think of this move on Obamas part? 