President Joe Biden granted clemency on the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is worth to mention that this act, the largest single-day clemency decision in modern U.S. history, aims to provide relief to those who served at least one year of home confinement after their release. Prisons, particularly during the pandemic, were hotspots for the spread of the virus. They had 1 in 5 prisoners testing positive at one point.
A Focus on Rehabilitation and Second Chances
In addition to commuting these sentences, Biden also granted pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent offenses, including drug-related crimes. Many of those pardoned have made significant efforts to turn their lives around.
Among the recipients are a woman who led emergency response teams in natural disasters, a church deacon and addiction counselor. Also, a doctoral student, and a decorated military veteran. Biden emphasized the importance of second chances. He state that clemency is an opportunity to correct sentencing disparities, especially for those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
This action follows a broader initiative by Biden. Who has previously pardoned individuals convicted of marijuana possession and members of the military affected by the former ban on consensual gay sex.
Pressure for More Clemency Actions
While Biden already granted a substantial number of clemency acts, advocacy groups are calling for additional pardons. They are urging him to consider individuals on federal death row. For instance, incluiding lawyer Steven Donziger, who spent years under house arrest for contempt of court while representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron.
In conclusion, the White House signaled that more clemency decisions may come before Biden’s term ends, but questions remain about how far Biden will go in using his pardoning power, particularly as pressure mounts to offer preemptive pardons for those involved in investigations into Trump’s actions.
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