President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he is commuting the sentences of some 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes – marking a broad use of the presidential clemency power just weeks from the end of Biden’s administration.
White House officials are billing Thursday’s move as the biggest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The president, who has come under growing pressure to grant more clemencies before he leaves office and who controversially granted a pardon to his son Hunter earlier this month, also promised that additional action will be announced in the weeks to come.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement released shortly after CNN reported early Thursday morning on the coming announcement. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
The nearly 1,500 individuals whose long sentences are being commuted Thursday were placed on home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, and were deemed to have demonstrated a clear commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration into their communities, sources said. The 39 people being pardoned were convicted of non-violent crimes, and considered to have demonstrated records of meaningfully giving back to the country.
“They are individuals who have secured employment, advanced their education, served as caretakers for their children and family members, and have really reintegrated into the tapestry of their communities,” an administration official familiar with the announcement told CNN. “They include individuals who faced incredible challenges in life and have really now shown resilience and seeking to overcome those challenges.”
While CNN has not obtained a full list of names of the clemency recipients, sources provided several examples of individuals being pardoned.
Among them: A decorated military veteran described as having devoted much of his time helping members of his community including the sick and elderly; a nurse who is said to have helped during natural disasters and was at the forefront of vaccination efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic; as well as an addiction counselor recognized for his dedication to mentoring young men of color.
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