"Obama should commute the sentences of many people serving egregiously long sentences for crack cocaine offenses"

The quote in the title of this post is a line from this CNN commentary by Kemba Smith Pradia, which is headlined "My life saved by reprieve of 24-year sentence for crack." Here is how it begins:

Ten years ago, days before Christmas, President Bill Clinton changed my life forever. I was in federal prison, serving the seventh year of a 24-year sentence for a first-time nonviolent crack cocaine offense.

Clinton's mercy and acknowledgement that my sentence was unjust led him to grant me a commutation.  Had he not done so, I would be in prison until 2016.  On December 22, the anniversary of my release, I will join others in a fast for justice to honor those in prison who deserve the same relief from their long sentences for low-level drug offenses.

Many things have changed in the last decade.  I graduated from college, attended law school, got married, raised my son who was born while I was incarcerated and gave birth to a daughter.  I also established my own foundation to give hope to children of incarcerated parents.

At the same time, the sentencing law that I was convicted under came under intense scrutiny.  This year, President Barack Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act to limit the harsh mandatory minimum sentences associated with low-level crack cocaine offenses. Progress has been made.

But also since my release, an estimated 5,000 men and women have gone to federal prison each year for a crack cocaine offense.  They have been subject to a sentencing structure that the U.S. Sentencing Commission, an independent judicial body, said applied "most often to offenders who perform low-level trafficking functions, wield little decision-making authority, and have limited responsibility."

Indeed, I went to prison for being complicit in my abusive boyfriend's crack cocaine trafficking operation.  Prosecutors in the case acknowledged that I never sold, handled or used any drugs.  Just as Clinton did 10 years ago, Obama should commute the sentences of many people serving egregiously long sentences for crack cocaine offenses.