U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo Statement – “smart On Crime” Initiative

PHOENIX – U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo offers the following statement concerning the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Smart on Crime” initiative announced this week:

            “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. 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 and continuing to maintain public safety.”

RELEASE NUMBER:   2013-066_USA-SmartOnCrimeInitiative

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