I'd ease drug-sentencing laws: Obama

The Illinois senator said he would review mandatory minimum drug sentencing and give first-time, nonviolent drug offenders a chance to serve their sentence in drug rehabilitation programs instead of prison.

''If you're convicted of a crime involving drugs, of course you should be punished,'' Obama said in a speech at Howard University's opening convocation. ''But let's not make the punishment for crack cocaine that much more severe than the punishment for powder cocaine when the real difference is where the people are using them or who is using them.''

The historically black college awarded Obama an honorary degree.

Obama framed his speech around the case of a racially charged school beating in Jena, La., that has sparked demonstrations by civil rights advocates.

AP