Transcript for Justice Department directs federal prosecutors to charge maximum sentences

Today I am announcing that sent a memo to each of rag United States attorneys last night. A stab missing a charging and sentencing policy for this Department of Justice. Our responsibility. Is to fulfill our role. In a way that accords with law. Advances public safety and promotes respect for and consistency. In our legal system. And in the work that we all do. Charging and sentencing recommendations. On bedrock responsibilities. Meaning. Prosecutor. Cannot trust our prosecutors in the field. To make good judgments. They deserve to be on hand cop and not micro managed from Washington. Rather they must be permitted to a plow the law to the facts. Each investigation. Let's be clear we are forcing the laws congress has passed. That is both our fundamental mission and act constitutionally. Knowing fall. I have empowered our prosecutors. To charge and pursue them most serious offense as I believe the law work Mars. Mostly serious readily provable affairs. It means that we're going to meet our responsibility to enforce the law written judgment and fairness it is simply the right and moral thing Tuesday. But it is important to note that unlike previous charging memoranda. I have given our prosecutors discretion. To avoid sentences that would result in an injustice. This is a key part of president Trump's promise to keep America site. We are seeing an increase in violent crime in our cities particularly in Baltimore Chicago. Memphis and Milwaukee. Saint Louis and meaning. The murder rate has surged 10% nationwide. The largest increase in murders since 1968. And we know that drugs and tram go hand in hand they just do the fact expert that so. Drug trafficking is an inherently dangerous and violent business if you want to collect a drug debt he can't file a lawsuit in court. You collected with the barrel of Oregon. And 2015. More than 52000. Americans. From a drug over to pass they stunning number. According to a report by The New England Journal of Medicine the price that heroin is down its purity is up and its availability is. We intend to reverse this friend we are returning to the enforcement of the laws as passed by congress plain and simple. If you are right drug trafficker. We want not look the other way. We will not be willfully blind to your miss conduct. We are talking about for example a key program apparently. That's 101000. Doses a pair won on the streets five kilograms of cocaine 101000 kilograms of marijuana. These are not low rounds low level drug offenders we and the federal courts are focusing now these are drug dealers and you drug dealers are going to prison.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.