A CALL FOR FORGIVENESS

The president plays a vital role in our system of justice, not only
having responsibility for the U.S. Department of Justice, but also a
responsibility for correcting miscarriages of justice and expressing
mercy on behalf of the entire nation. Congress hastily handcuffed the
federal judiciary with the mandatory minimum sentences of the 1980s.
Though these laws have been condemned by Chief Justice Rehnquist and
most of the federal judiciary, by law professors, by numerous legal
and lay observers, Congress has failed to reform them, fearing the
label "soft on drugs." Only the president has the power to correct the
individual injustices or to express the mercy of the nation toward
those who do not belong in prison.

The year 2000 is a jubilee year. People of faith are called upon in
this year to forgive debt and to free prisoners (Leviticus 25:10).

There were 40,000 federal prisoners in 1986 when these laws were
passed. Now there are 143,000 federal prisoners, over 80,000 of them
drug prisoners. The U.S. Sentencing Commission has found that 55
percent of the federal prisoners are low-level offenders, but they are
often serving sentences of 10, 20 or more years.

Americans should call on the president to act before he leaves office,
most appropriately during the holidays, to free thousands of federal
prisoners who have served at least five years in prison, who have no
prior records, who did not use violence and who were low-level
offenders. If the pardon is done on a large scale of one date, it
could come with an executive order declaring the day a National Day of
Jubilee and Forgiveness.

Allan J. Lindrup
Chair, Peace and Justice Committee Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith
Council Chicago