President Barack Obama on Thursday shortened the prison sentences of 98 inmates, bringing his commutation total this month alone to 200.
Obama has now commuted the sentences of 872 inmates during his presidency, including 688 in 2016.
That is “more than the previous 11 presidents combined", White House counsel Neil Eggleston said in a blog post.
“These are individuals -- many of whom made mistakes at a young age -- who have diligently worked to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated," he wrote.
The most recent batch includes 42 inmates serving life sentences.
For them “ today's news will carry special weight when they learn that they will be able to return to their families and communities," Eggleston wrote.
Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates said in a statement that the Justice Department “will continue to prioritize" all petitions for commutation from drug-related offenders that were submitted by the end of August.
Obama has prioritized criminal justice reform during the final months of his presidency, which ends Jan. 20.
He has particularly worked with Congress to revise America's harsh mandatory sentencing guidelines, but that effort has taken a back seat to the Nov. 8 general election.
