The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. May 12, 2017 Sessions Tells Prosecutors to Seek Harshest Sentences for Drug Crimes --------------------------------------------------------------------- Attorney General Jeff Sessions has released a memo telling Justice Department prosecutors to pursue "the most serious" charges for drug offenses. He also rescinded two Obama-era memos that encouraged prosecutors to avoid seeking inordinately harsh sentences for low-level drug offenses. Sessions has long backed lengthy prison sentences and mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, including for marijuana use, which is now legal for either medical or recreational purposes in many states. .