Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
On Friday night, President Biden announced that he would commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. All the sentences pardoned involved individuals serving longer terms than they would have received under current sentencing guidelines. In a statement, Biden said, “With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history.”
This is a significant step for advocates of prison reform and further solidifies Biden’s legacy as a reform advocate, following his historic commutations of death row inmates. Although Biden is set to leave office on Monday, he has continued his efforts for the nation, passing legislation and issuing orders. He stated, “I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.”
Last month, Biden commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals, pardoned 39 people, and commuted the sentences of 37 federal prisoners on death row, converting their penalties to life without parole. These actions were defined as the largest single-day act of clemency in modern presidential history and marked a monumental moment for organizations like the ACLU, which have long championed meaningful prison reform.
