U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo, Support for Smart on Crime Initiative, Arizona 2013

PHOENIX – In a move that is expected to save millions of dollars and reduce the number of non-violent offenders in overcrowded prisons, U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo has come out in support of the Attorney General’s revised charging policy for drug offenders.

In a statement released this week, Attorney General Leonardo said that the policy will allow federal prosecutors to better achieve justice while reducing costs and maintaining public safety.

‘I fully support the Attorney General’s revised charging policy for drug offenders. It will allow us to save millions of dollars unnecessarily spent to incarcerate non-violent, low level drug offenders in overcrowded prisons and redirect those resources to the prosecution and imprisonment of high level, serious drug offenders with violent criminal histories who pose a real danger to the community.’

The revised policy will give federal prosecutors the discretion to charge lower-level drug offenders with misdemeanors, rather than felonies, which will help to reduce the number of people in prison and save the government millions of dollars.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the policy will also allow for the prosecution and imprisonment of high-level, serious drug offenders who pose a real danger to the community. This is a common sense, positive reform that provides federal prosecutors and the courts with the discretion and the opportunity to better achieve justice while reducing costs.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.

Defendant/Respondent Name: U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo

Crime: Support for Smart on Crime Initiative

City and State: PHOENIX, Arizona

Date: 2013

Sentence or Outcome: Supported Attorney General’s revised charging policy for drug offenders

Dollar Amounts: Millions of dollars

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