Reduced Sentences for Drug Offenders

Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law that is expected to reduce prison time for inmates convicted of certain drug offenses. Branstad signed the bill Thursday. It will allow certain non-violent drug offenders in Iowa to be eligible for parole after they serve at least half of their mandatory minimum sentence. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency says the law is expected to reduce the disproportionate number of minorities in Iowa’s criminal justice system.