President Barack Obama on Tuesday surpassed the 1,000 mark for commutations granted during his presidency after shortening sentences for 79 people. Obama has been granting commutations at rapid-fire pace in his final months in office. Most of those who have received clemency are nonviolent drug offenders, though many were also convicted of firearms violations related to drug crimes. Obama has said "it makes no sense" for nonviolent drug offenders to serve decades in prison or life sentences. Obama is calling for a criminal justice overhaul to address what he deems as overly onerous sentencing and other problems.

Source: Fox News November 22, 2016 19:25 UTC