Faith leaders across the country have opposed Sessions' confirmation as USA attorney general with petitions and statements, calling him unfit to make decisions that are helpful to communities of color across the U.S - especially around prison sentencing for black people. In the memo, Sessions, who said in March that there was "too much of a tolerance for drug use", called for prosecutors to charge offenders with the "most serious, readily provable offense", deviating only in special circumstances and with the approval of a USA attorney general or assistant attorney general.
"Charging and sentencing recommendations are bedrock responsibilities of any prosecutor", Sessions said during a news conference Friday.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday announced a new tough-on-crime policy that requires federal prosecutors to impose the highest charges and seek the longest sentences in criminal cases.
"This is a disastrous move that will increase the prison population, exacerbate racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and do nothing to reduce drug use or increase public safety", Michael Collins, deputy director at the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a statement emailed to NPR.
Sessions reminds prosecutors that they "should carefully consider whether an exception may be justified" if they do not think they should apply the new policy.
Sessions announced the move in a policy memo sent to US attorneys.
Advocates for criminal justice reform have been bracing for such an announcement from Sessions, and they reacted to the news Thursday with a mix of disappointment and indignation.
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Further, the federal prison population for all offenses decreased over the same period.
His 2 page memo detailed his intentions of changing the stance on crime, telling the 5,000 or so US attorneys and district attorneys to "charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense". "It is dumb on crime", The Washington Times reported. His memo tells prosecutors to charge steeper crimes that would trigger long, mandatory minimum prison sentences. Harsher sentences for non-violent drug crimes cost taxpayers more money and waste limited resources that are needed to go after more unsafe, violent offenders who put the public at risk.
"While we very much appreciated all the thing the Obama administration did not do for marijuana reform, one of the things that was so crucial about the DOJ was their relaxing enforcement of federal prohibition", he said.
The memo also effectively rolls back a memo issued by then-Attorney General Eric Holder in 2013. He suggests filing "the most serious, readily provable" charges with include substantial punishment and mandatory minimum sentences. "It's our job to put people who deserve to be there and to enforce the law", Morganelli said. He wrote, "Prosecutors must disclose to the sentencing court all facts that impact the sentencing guidelines or mandatory-minimum sentences, and should in all cases seek a reasonable sentence under the factors".
Sessions' directive counters a national trend to eliminate some of the most severe sentencing policies adopted during the 1980's era war on drugs.
Lawrence Leiser says the policy will "restore the tools that Congress intended" federal prosecutors to use to punish drug traffickers and dismantle gangs.
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