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President Biden announced today that he would pardon 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes and commute the sentences of 1,499 others. The White House said it was the largest number of commutations by an American president in a single day.
The act of clemency targeted those who had been released from prison and placed in home confinement during the pandemic. Recipients include people who were convicted of drug crimes, Medicare fraud and illegally prescribing opioids. Some were convicted as young adults only to serve in the military, help charities or train local firefighters.
In a statement, Biden said that many of the people would have received lower sentences if they had been charged under current laws. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” he said.
Some Democrats have called on Biden to reduce the sentences of all 40 people on death row to life without parole because Donald Trump supports the death penalty. Members of Biden’s staff have been debating whether he should issue blanket pardons for a number of Trump’s perceived enemies to protect them from retribution.
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