President Biden on Thursday announced an amnesty He commuted the sentences of 39 people and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 others. In particular, many people were under home confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The sweeping pardons come amid pressure for Biden to issue individual pardons after pardoning his son Hunter. The president said in a statement that he would take further steps in the weeks before he leaves office.
“America was built on possibility and the promise of second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As President, I will extend mercy to those who have shown remorse and rehabilitation, restore opportunities for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and eliminate sentencing disparities, especially for nonviolent offenders. “We have the great privilege of being able to take action against those convicted of drug crimes.” ”
The White House said this was the largest single-day act of pardon in modern history.
Mr. Biden announced pardons for 39 people who have successfully turned their lives around and contributed to their communities. The White House said each had been convicted of a nonviolent crime, and included a military veteran, a nurse who led a natural disaster response, and an addiction counselor.
The roughly 1,500 people whose sentences were commuted had been under home confinement for at least a year under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This law was passed in 2020 during the pandemic and allows extension of home confinement under certain conditions. Prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic. Associated Press reported At one point, one in five prisoners was infected with the virus.
“These cut-rate recipients who were isolated at home during the coronavirus pandemic have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, showing they deserve a second chance,” Biden said in a statement. .
Before Thursday's announcement, Biden had issued 122 commutations and 21 pardons, but he offered:radical generosityFor those convicted of marijuana use on federal property.
Biden had come under increasing pressure to use presidential pardon powers in his final weeks in office, as advocates stepped up efforts after his controversial decision to pardon his son.
The president has insisted for months that he would not pardon Hunter Biden, who was convicted on firearms charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges earlier this year. But hereverse courseEarlier this month, he claimed his son's case was influenced by politics.
some democratssuggestedMr. Biden should pre-emptively pardon individuals who could be targeted by the incoming Trump administration, such as members of the House committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Others called himgrant pardonTo the death row inmates.
“We will take further steps in the coming weeks,” Biden said Thursday. “My administration will continue to review clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support reintegration and reintegration, and provide meaningful second chances. do.”
