POLITICS NEWS – Biden commutes over 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 People

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

On Thursday, Joe Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people. Those whose sentences were commuted were released from prison and placed on house arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Biden has pardoned 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes. This historic act is the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. These pardons come after Biden stated that he would be taking more steps in his last weeks in office to review clemency petitions. 

This move is similar to what Obama did in the last weeks of his term before the Trump administration entered office for the first time in 2017. In a statement given Thursday, Biden said, “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances.” Biden expressed excitement about giving second chances to so many Americans, allowing them to contribute to daily life and their communities.