President Joe Biden has made a historic move by commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
This action sets a new record, making Biden the president with the highest number of individual pardons and commutations in the history of the United States.
According to Newsweek, Biden's decision is part of a larger initiative to rectify injustices in the criminal justice system, particularly those arising from outdated and often racially biased sentencing practices. The White House announced on Friday that the president plans to commute the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. This move concludes a series of commutations aimed at addressing what Biden termed "disproportionately long sentences" for crimes that no longer carry the same weight under current laws.
The president hinted that his administration, which is set to conclude on Monday, was considering additional pardons and commutations. Biden's recent clemency actions have not been limited to those convicted of drug offenses. In a significant move last month, he commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their sentences into life imprisonment.
In December, Biden also commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals who had been released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This action, coupled with the pardoning of 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes, marked the largest single-day clemency act in modern U.S. history.
Biden's actions starkly contrast with the final days of Donald Trump's first administration, when the outgoing Republican president issued a slew of pardons and commutations for more than 140 individuals, including his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, and former members of Congress. Trump's last act of clemency was a pardon for Al Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who had been convicted on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.
As his presidency draws to a close, Biden has also pardoned his son Hunter Biden for federal tax and gun violations, addressing concerns that Trump's allies might attempt to prosecute him further. While the scope of Biden's pardons may raise questions, especially regarding potential political ramifications, they remain well within his constitutional authority as president.
In a statement on Friday, President Joe Biden said, "Today's clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes. As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities. This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars."
Biden's clemency spree comes amid discussions about the possibility of broader pardons for former officials and allies who may face unjust legal scrutiny under a Trump administration. Presidential pardons are an expansive power, and using them preemptively has historical precedent.
As Biden's term comes to an end, analysts suggest that his legacy regarding clemency will be marked by efforts to address systemic issues in the criminal justice system and offer a second chance to thousands of individuals caught in its net. The question remains whether Trump will continue or dismantle these reforms.
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