Federal Judge Sandy Mattice said a decision last Friday by the U.S. Sentencing Commission may mean he and other federal judges will be "going back 25 years" on drug cases to review for reduced time.
"We will have plenty to do," he said during a sentencing hearing.
Those convicted of federal drug crimes are set to begin getting two-level sentence reductions in November. However, Judge Mattice is going ahead and granting those to current defendants.
Now the federal sentencing panel said the cuts apply to over 46,000 inmates sentenced prior to the new rules taking effect.
The commission set a one-year delay so that no prisoner could be released before November 2015.