6,000 low-level drug offenders will be released from prison starting today

More than 6,000 low-level drug offenders will be released from federal prisons and halfway houses beginning today, thanks to reduced sentences resulting from policy changes by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Another 8,500 will be released later this year.

While the Sentencing Commission's decision has been praised for its reduction of prison overcrowding and its more measured approach to prosecuting the war on drugs, some criminal justice experts have expressed concern that the released inmates will not have as many resources for their transition back into society as they would with a normal release.

As many as 40,000 more inmates could be approved for early release thanks to the retroactive sentencing change, though that total is unlikely to be reached as 26 percent of release requests have been denied so far.

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