Biden commutes sentences of nearly 2,500 non-violent drug offenders
US President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mandel Ngan - Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - In the final days of his presidency, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses – setting the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued.
Biden announced the recent round of clemency actions on Friday, meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh. ‘
Biden commutes sentences of nearly 2,500 people
What we know:
Biden said he is seeking to undo "disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice." The clemency action provides relief for people "who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes."
Biden also said more could yet be coming, promising to use the time before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on Monday to "continue to review additional commutations and pardons."
What we don't know:
The White House did not immediately release the names of those receiving commutations.
What they're saying:
"This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars," Biden said in a statement.
The backstory:
Friday's action follows Biden's commutations last month of the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the pandemic, as well as the pardoning of 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. That was the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.
Last month, Biden also commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment.
Additionally, Biden pardoned his son Hunter, not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses.
Dig deeper:
If history is any guide, Biden also is likely to issue more targeted pardons to help allies before leaving the White House, as presidents typically do in some of their final actions. Just before midnight on the final night of his first term, Trump, a Republican, signed a flurry of pardons and commutations for more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black and ex-members of Congress.
The Source: This story was reported based on information provided by the White House about President Joe Biden's clemency actions on Jan. 17, 2025. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the Associated Press contributed.