December 12, 2024
The United States is a nation of second chances. The President recognizes how the clemency power can advance equal justice under law and remedy harms caused by practices of the past.
The White House announcing that President Biden has commuted the sentences of almost 1,500 people and has pardoned an additional 39 people “convicted of non-violent crimes.”
Why It Matters: President Biden’s actions Wednesday represent, “the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history,” according to the White House. Previously, President Barack Obama held the record with 330 acts of clemency granted in one day just prior to his departure from the White House in 2017.
The individuals whose sentences are commuted had been placed on home confinement for at least one year through the COVID-19 pandemic CARES Act, and successfully demonstrated their reintegration into society “by securing employment and advancing their education.” (White House)
What’s Next? The White House states to expect more clemency actions before President Biden leaves office in January: “While today’s announcement marks important progress, there is more to come. President Biden will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver criminal justice reform in a manner that advances equity and justice, promotes public safety, supports rehabilitation and reentry, and provides meaningful second chances.”
Read More: FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Clemency for Nearly 1,500 Americans (White House)
by Stephanie Wagner, based in Florida
