among the 46, norman o'neal brown of maryland sentenced to life for distributing crack cocaine. now he'll get out of prison in november. >> these men and women were not hardened criminals. >> reporter: calling the united states a nation of second chances, president obama commuted the sentences of 46 men and women. that means their convictions remain but their punishment ends. >> 14 of them had been sentenced to life for nonviolent drug offenses. >> reporter: but the move is very controversial. >> we're trying to fight cyber terrorism. we're trying to fight isis. we've got bigger problems to worry about than babysitting drug dealers, many of whom are nonviolent. >> we disagree with the idea that drug trafficking is nonviolent even when it's not done with a gun. >> reporter: the united states states currently spends $80 billion locking up criminals. >> president obama will address the criminal justice system tomorrow. thursday he'll become the first sitting president to visit a federal prison. >>> it's taken nine and a half years to get there but now the new horizons space craft i