The U.S. justice Department is planning to widen the criteria to assess mercy petitions, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Monday. The department will review the clemency requests of thousands of federal inmates.

The new evaluation is aimed at prisoners found guilty for non-violent drug offenses. Holder said that this measure will reduce the population of inmates across the jails in the country. Furthermore, it will also help these prisoners become productive citizens.

"The White House has indicated it wants to consider additional clemency applications, to restore a degree of justice, fairness and proportionality for deserving individuals who do not pose a threat to public safety," Holder said in a video message posted on the department's website. "The Justice Department is committed to recommending as many qualified applicants as possible for reduced sentences."

Holder said that the approach will make the criteria for clemency proposal more expansive.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Sentencing Commission unanimously voted in favor of shorter federal jail sentences for those involved in non-violent drug offences. The commission supported a reduction in the average prison term for drug dealers by 11 months.

According to the Associate Press, the announcement was part of the Obama administration's ongoing efforts to re-assess the sentences given to drug offenders. The authorities reportedly believe that the sentences are overly harsh and done under the old federal guidelines. The older guidelines then were harsher for crack cocaine convicted users compared to those who were jailed for use of the powder form of the drug.

The justice department said that it will tap dozens of extra lawyers to handle such applications.