WATCH: Martin Sheen Stars in Powerful New PSA Calling for Drug Sentencing Reform

Published on AlterNet by Asawin Suebsaeng for Mother Jones. 

On Tuesday, Brave New Films released a  new PSA calling on Congress to pass the  Smarter Sentencing Act. The proposed sentencing-reform legislation aims to reduce prison populations and costs by creating less severe minimum terms for nonviolent drug offenders. 

(On Monday,Yahoo News  reported that President Obama could grant clemency to "hundreds, perhaps thousands" of nonviolent drug offenders by the end of his second term.) The video was produced in partnership with the ACLU and Families Against Mandatory Minimums ( FAMM), and stars actor  Martin Sheen. It's titled "President Bartlet has a message for Congress," in reference to Sheen's role on  Aaron Sorkin's political drama  The West Wing.