By JEFF SESSIONS | U.S. Senator

While President Obama lectures the nation on gun violence, and seeks to limit lawful Americans’ exercise of their constitutional rights, his administration’s policies have let loose thousands of dangerous criminals onto America’s streets.

The proven method for saving the lives of innocent Americans is not disarming them. The proven method for saving the lives of innocent Americans is to arrest, prosecute, convict and jail criminal offenders, especially armed career criminals illegally using guns. This is the way to reduce gun violence.

Instead, the President has presided over a stunning drop in the prosecution of gun crimes. There were a mere 6,002 convictions for gun crimes in 2015, a decrease of more than one-third from just ten years ago.

In the very communities most racked by gang violence, the President has also helped to replenish the ranks of the perpetrators by ordering federal prosecutors to ignore congressionally-mandated minimum sentences for drug trafficking. Those engaging in drug-trafficking are some of the most dangerous, violent and ruthless criminals in America. Indeed, in this type of illegal enterprise, the barrel of a gun is the preferred collection and enforcement tool.

Former Attorney General Holder flatly stated that ‘last year, federal prosecutors went from seeking a mandatory minimum penalty in two out of every three drug trafficking cases, to doing so in one out of two. This represents the lowest rate on record.’

With the full support of the Obama Justice Department, the Sentencing Commission has reduced the sentencing guidelines for all drug traffickers, including those currently in prison, resulting in the early release of over 46,000 convicted felons. Predictably, we are already seeing those released commit violent crimes. This should come as no surprise given the 77 percent recidivism rate for recently released criminals, as reported by the Department of Justice itself.

Every day, lax sentencing costs lives. Tyrone Howard, a gang member with 28 arrests and two prison sentences for drug crimes, was convicted for another serious drug crime but sent to a diversion program instead of jail. He then murdered NYPD officer Randolph Holder. Raleigh Sizemore, convicted of operating a meth lab, was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was paroled after just three years’ time. He then executed Richmond, Kentucky police officer Daniel Ellis with a gunshot to the head.

How many thousands of lives would be saved if we enforced our immigration laws, our guns laws, and our drug laws?