OAN Staff Avril Elfie
5:25pm – Friday, January 17, 2025
President Joe Biden has granted individual pardons and commutations to approximately 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders.
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On Friday, Biden announced commuting the sentences of 2,490 people convicted of nonviolent drug crimes. It added that they “are serving sentences that are disproportionately long compared to the sentences they would receive under current laws, policies, and practices.”
“Today's clemency action not only provides relief to individuals sentenced to long sentences based on the discredited distinction between crack cocaine and powder cocaine, but also provides outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said. wrote.
The White House released the names of 2,490 people whose sentences were commuted. Biden also said additional commutations could be ordered and would use the time until President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday to “continue consideration of additional commutations and pardons.” I promised.
The announcement follows the sentencing of approximately 1,500 people released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the sentencing of 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes. This comes after his sentence was commuted last month on a pardon.
Biden also chose to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison. However, Trump has vowed to rescind Biden's commutation of death row inmates after taking office.
Biden has also faced criticism for pardoning his son Hunter, who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms charges.
Presidents typically order a series of pardons toward the end of their terms.
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