Biden Grants Clemency to 1,500 Individuals

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, is reducing the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals who were released from prison during the COVID-19 pandemic and placed under house arrest, and he is also pardoning 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes. This is the largest single-day clemency action in contemporary U.S. history. At one point during the pandemic, one in five prisoners had contracted COVID-19, and to prevent the spread of the disease, several inmates were released and placed under house arrest. The reductions announced on Thursday, December 13, include individuals who have spent at least one year under house arrest. The second-largest single-day clemency was granted by former President Barack Obama in 2016, just before leaving the White House, to 330 inmates. Biden has stated that he will review more clemency requests in the coming weeks. In Biden's statement, he said, 'America was built on the promise of second chances. As President, I have the great privilege of granting clemency to individuals who have shown remorse and have been rehabilitated, providing an opportunity for Americans to engage in everyday life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to address disproportionate penalties for non-violent offenders, particularly those related to drug offenses.' This broad clemency comes after Biden pardoned his son Hunter, who was convicted of gun and tax-related crimes. Biden had previously issued 122 sentence reductions and 21 other pardons. He also pardoned individuals who were convicted solely for possession and use of marijuana on federal lands, as well as former U.S. military members who were convicted due to same-sex relationships. During Trump's first term, especially during the pandemic, there was an unprecedented number of federal executions. Joe Biden stated during his 2020 election campaign that he wanted to end the death penalty, but this has not happened, and with Trump's potential return to power, executions are likely to resume. More pardons are expected before Biden leaves office. The President of the United States has the authority to both reduce and eliminate sentences, but those who are pardoned must also accept it. Biden had previously committed multiple times not to pardon his son, but later explained that he concluded the prosecution was politically motivated. According to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only about two in ten Americans approved of his decision, and this decision has led advocates for criminal justice reform and lawmakers to pressure Biden to use the same power to reduce sentences and pardon ordinary Americans.