The Law Barack Obama and the Clemency Power: Real Reform on the Way?

On February 9, 2014, the New York Times editorial board described the Obama administration as "one of the least merciful... in modern history." Over the past year and a half, President Barack Obama has shown renewed interest in clemency. However, as of July 13, 2015, real reform remains elusive: Obama has granted less than 1% of pardon and commutation requests. Is anything likely to change in the remaining months of the Obama administration? In this article, I look for hints of Obama's plans by considering his clemency record in detail, paying particular attention to the types of offenses that have been deemed worthy of clemency and those that have not.