Barack Obama grants 58 more commutations

Barack Obama on Thursday commuted the sentences of 58 more people convicted of mostly cocaine-related offenses, further speeding his acts of clemency in the twilight of his presidency.

The White House announced that Obama had commuted sentences that ranged from life imprisonment to lesser jail terms for possession and conspiracy to distribute drugs like crack or cocaine.

Obama announced similar mass commutations for non-violent offenders in December and March, in tandem with a push to fix the criminal justice system.

Obama has now commuted the sentences of around 300 offenders.

Obama wants to reform a range of laws that cause the United States to have among the world's highest incarceration rates and puts a disproportionate number of black and Hispanic Americans behind bars.

Among those laws are mandatory sentencing laws on the use of crack that are tougher than those for cocaine.