Tougher Rules on Prosecuting Drug Crimes Expected From Justice Department

In a major rollback of Obama-era policies, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expected to toughen rules on prosecuting drug crimes, according to The New York Times.

The Obama Administration favored more lenient and flexible drug sentencing laws. The federal population declined during the Obama years, for the first time in a generation, the article notes.

Sessions has called for a return to tougher federal charging policies, and has issued memos telling prosecutors they should anticipate a shift in policy. Under the administration of George W. Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft ordered prosecutors to bring the most serious charges possible in most cases, with limited exceptions.