April 2015


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


President Obama Grants 22 Commutations to Individuals Serving Time in Federal Prison


Girl Scout FROM PAGE 2


the shelter something of their own,” Dominique said. “It’s something that they will be able to take with them no matter where they go.”


impact


Realizing how much of an that her pillowcases were


having on children who are facing the


unknown, Dominique decided


to take her project to the next level by involving her peers. She first hosted a service learning day for her classmates and community members at Thalia Elementary School. Then, last weekend, she hosted a second service learning day for her fellow Girl Scouts at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center and headquarters in


Scams FROM PAGE 1 BY NEIL EGGLESTON


Building on his commitment to address instances of unfairness in


sentencing, President Obama


granted 22 commutations last month to individuals serving time in federal prison. Had they been sentenced under current laws and policies, many of these individuals would have already served their time and paid their debt to society. Because many were convicted under an outdated sentencing regime, they served years — in some cases more than a decade — longer than individuals convicted today of the same crime.


In total, the 22 commutations granted recently underscore the President’s commitment to using all the tools at his disposal to bring greater fairness and equity to our justice system. Further, they demonstrate how exercising this important authority can remedy imbalances and rectify errors in sentencing. Added to his prior 21 commutations, the President has now granted 43 commutations total. To put President Obama’s actions in context, President George W. Bush commuted 11 sentences in his eight years in office.


To further


President has established a clemency initiative


to encourage At


who were sentenced under outdated laws and policies commutation.


to petition for potential


significant reforms have followed, such as the promulgation of new criteria


this progress, the individuals for


his direction, commutation


candidates to meet, including those who pose no threat to public safety, have a clean record in prison, and have been sentenced under out-of-date laws. In addition, the Department of Justice has raised awareness about how to petition for commutation to ensure that every federal inmate who believes they are deserving of this invaluable second chance has the opportunity to ask for it.


that a commutation President of the


Underscoring penned


22 the


responsibility brings, the


individuals


a letter to each receiving


clemency, recognizing their potential to overcome the mistakes they made and encouraging them to make good choices moving forward.


While the announcement


represents important progress, there’s more work ahead. The Administration will


thoroughly all petitions for clemency. And, while


is an


continue to work to review commutation


important tool for those seeking justice and fairness in our penal system, it is nearly always an option of last resort, coming after a lengthy court process and many years behind bars. That is why President Obama is committed to working with Democrats and Republicans on sensible reforms to our criminal justice system that aim to give judges more discretion over mandatory minimum sentencing. As the Department of Justice has noted, mandatory minimum sentences have at times resulted in harsher penalties for non-violent drug offenders than many violent offenders and are not necessary for prosecutions at this level.


has become law. In 2010, the President signed the Fair Sentencing


Already, one significant reform Act,


which reduced the disparity in the amounts of powder cocaine and crack cocaine required for the imposition of


mandatory justice minimum penalties.


The President is encouraged by the bipartisan support for improving our criminal


front-end changes in better system, including


promising legislation that would implement


sentencing. In addition, he supports bipartisan efforts to provide back-end support through


and job training for those currently incarcerated and to reform of our juvenile justice system to build on the significant reductions in the number of youth being held in secure facilities.


Ensuring fairness in our criminal


justice system will require ongoing efforts to invest in the types of programs that help prevent individuals from turning to crime, like education and jobs, as well as changes to our sentencing laws to ensure that the punishment really does fit the crime. As we work to make those improvements, the President will continue to use his clemency authority in certain instances where justice, fairness, and proportion- ality demand it, and to give eligible and worthy individuals who have paid their debt to society a chance to contribute in meaningful ways.


education


one scam involving a pre-recorded message supposedly from a financial institution or a government agency, describing some “urgent” matter. “If you return the call, you might be asked a series of personal questions using the touch-tone keypad on your telephone. The information you are asked to provide, such as account numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs), birth dates, and passwords, can be used to access to your bank account or commit identity theft,” said Benardo.


He added, “Your financial


institution or a government agency would never contact you asking for such information. When in doubt, call your institution or the government agency that the call is supposedly from by using a phone number that you know or that you find, not the number in the message.”


Because it may be difficult to


get your money back, remember the following:


If you get a robocall, hang up.


Don’t press “1” to speak to a live operator and don’t press any other number to (supposedly) get your phone number off a call list. Doing so will probably just lead to more robocalls.


Never give out personal


identification information over the phone unless you initiate the call and know the other party is reputable. This includes bank account and credit card numbers, Social


Security numbers,


account passwords and PIN numbers. Thoroughly check out any offer


The Hampton Roads Messenger 3


Chesapeake. At this workshop, nearly 70 Girl Scouts made 84 pillowcases with the help of volunteers from The Tidewater Quilters’ Guild.


make


By inviting her peers to help pillowcases,


Dominique has


not only been able to donate more pillowcases to For Kids, but has also helped her peers learn valuable sewing skills. Dominique has also spread the word about her project and youth homelessness by speaking to community groups, including a group of 150 Girl Scouts during an event at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the fall.


For her project, Dominique will earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the highest award earned by Girl Scout Juniors and the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.


before agreeing to it. Always ask


for key details in writing. Carefully read all applications and contracts so that you understand


your


costs, risks and requirements. You also can research an offer with help from your state or local consumer protection agency (start at www.usa. gov/directory/stateconsumer) or your state Attorney General’s office (www. naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/ whos-my-ag.php).


Assume that fraud. any offer that


“sounds too good to be true” — especially one from a stranger or an unfamiliar company — is probably a


“Common examples of


scams include fake lottery winnings, bogus job offers, and promises of an investment paying significantly above market rates,” said Kathryn Weatherby, a fraud examination specialist for the FDIC.


Resist pressure to make a decision


immediately. Here are a few red flags that can help you spot a scam:


provide


You’re told to send money or bank


account information


before you receive anything in return; You sense a reluctance on the part


of the caller to answer questions or provide written information; and


You’re told you already agreed


to pay money but you don’t remember that.


If you think you’re a victim, file


a complaint with the FTC (at www.ftc. gov/complaint or toll-free at 1-877- 382-4357) and with your police. For more tips on topics like


reducing


robocalls, avoiding phone scams and stopping unwanted mail and calls, start at the FTC’s Web site (www.ftc.gov).


Hampton University Faculty, Staff and Students Held a Community Health Fair During the 37th Annual Conference on the Black Family


potential


Photo courtesy of Hampton University


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