WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who had been launched from jail and positioned on dwelling confinement throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has additionally has pardoned 39 Individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes, marking the biggest single-day act of clemency in fashionable historical past.
The commutations, introduced Thursday, apply to those that have served at the least one yr of dwelling confinement after they had been launched.
Biden indicated that clemency petitions would proceed to be reviewed within the coming weeks.
The earlier document for a single-day act of clemency was set by former President Barack Obama, who commuted the sentences of 330 people shortly earlier than leaving workplace in 2017.
Learn the complete assertion from President Biden saying clemency for practically 1,500 Individuals
FACT SHEET: President Biden Publicizes Clemency for Practically 1,500 Individuals
At the moment’s announcement will commute the sentences of near 1,500 people who had been positioned on dwelling confinement and can pardon 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes
At the moment, President Biden introduced that he’s granting clemency to almost 1,500 Individuals – essentially the most ever in a single day – who’ve proven profitable rehabilitation and a powerful dedication to creating their communities safer. The President is commuting the sentences of near 1,500 people who had been positioned on dwelling confinement throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and who’ve efficiently reintegrated into their households and communities. He’s additionally pardoning 39 people who had been convicted of non-violent crimes. These actions signify the biggest single-day grant of clemency in fashionable historical past.
Collectively, these actions construct on the President’s document of felony justice reform to assist reunite households, strengthen communities, and reintegrate people again into society. The President has issued extra sentence commutations at this level in his presidency than any of his current predecessors on the similar level of their first phrases. He’s additionally the primary President ever to subject categorical pardons to people convicted of easy use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of personal conduct due to their sexual orientation. Within the coming weeks, the President will take further steps to offer significant second possibilities and proceed to evaluate further pardons and commutations.
Individuals receiving reduction as we speak embody:
• A adorned army veteran and pilot who spends a lot of his time serving to his fellow church members who’re ill or unable to carry out strenuous duties;
• A nurse who has led emergency response for a number of pure disasters and who helped spearhead vaccination efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• An dependancy counselor who volunteers his time to assist younger individuals discover their goal, make higher decisions, and chorus from harmful behaviors and gang involvement.
Because the President has mentioned, the USA is a nation of second possibilities. The President acknowledges how the clemency energy can advance equal justice beneath regulation and treatment harms brought on by practices of the previous.
The practically 1,500 people who acquired commutations as we speak have been serving their sentences at dwelling for at the least one yr beneath the COVID-era CARES Act. These Individuals have been reunited with their households and proven their dedication to rehabilitation by securing employment and advancing their schooling. The 39 people receiving pardons as we speak had been convicted of non-violent crimes, together with drug offenses, and have turned their lives round. These people are dad and mom, veterans, well being care professionals, lecturers, advocates, and engaged members of their communities. A lot of them have used their experiences within the felony justice system to encourage and encourage others.
Particular person Clemency Actions All through the Biden-Harris Administration
The President is intent on granting clemency to people convicted of non-violent crimes who had been sentenced beneath outdated legal guidelines, insurance policies, and practices that left them with longer sentences than if the people had been sentenced as we speak.
To deal with these injustices, President Biden has taken a number of daring clemency actions all through his Administration, together with:
• In April 2022, the President granted clemency to people with varied drug-related offenses and a few people on CARES Act dwelling confinement. In complete, he granted three pardons and 75 commutations.
• In December 2022, the President granted clemency to recipients with varied drug- and alcohol-related offenses. In complete, he granted six pardons.
• In April 2023, the President granted clemency to recipients on CARES Act dwelling confinement. In complete, he granted 31 commutations.
• In December 2023 and April 2024, the President granted clemency to people sentenced for non-violent drug offenses. In complete, he granted 11 pardons and 16 commutations.
These particular person actions have helped to rework these people’ lives and positively affect their communities. Federal convictions make it troublesome to safe housing, jobs, instructional alternatives, advantages, and well being care; all important to dwelling a wholesome and productive life. By means of his use of the clemency energy, President Biden has taken steps to unlock doorways of alternative that will have in any other case remained closed to those recipients, who deserve a second likelihood.
Categorical Clemency Actions all through the Biden-Harris Administration
Along with these particular person clemency actions, President Biden has issued a variety of categorical pardons to sure teams of individuals. The President has used categorical clemency greater than any of his predecessors, which has allowed him to broadly and systemically reply to historic injustices. His daring and unprecedented categorical actions, broadly outlined under, embody the next:
• In October 2022, the President issued a full, full, and unconditional categorical pardon for the offense of easy possession of marijuana.
• In December 2023, the President issued one other proclamation that expanded earlier reduction for the offenses of easy possession of marijuana, tried easy possession of marijuana, or use of marijuana, no matter whether or not the person had been charged with or prosecuted for the offenses on or earlier than the date of the proclamation.
• In June 2024, the President issued a full, full, and unconditional categorical pardons to sure former army service individuals convicted of offenses primarily based on their sexual orientation, particularly unaggravated offenses primarily based on consensual, non-public conduct with individuals age 18 and older occurring between Might 31, 1951, and December 26, 2013, in addition to makes an attempt, conspiracies, or solicitations of such conduct.
The President’s categorical strategy to clemency has additionally impressed leaders throughout the nation to take related motion. Over ten states and localities, together with Maryland and Massachusetts, have issued categorical clemency for marijuana convictions, impacting tons of of 1000’s of individuals and permitting people to maneuver previous their convictions and transfer on with their day by day lives.
Whereas as we speak’s announcement marks necessary progress, there’s extra to come back. President Biden will proceed to evaluate clemency petitions and ship felony justice reform in a fashion that advances fairness and justice, promotes public security, helps rehabilitation and reentry, and offers significant second possibilities.
