On Friday, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in U.S. history, according to the White House.
In a statement, Biden said the commutations were aimed at addressing “disproportionately long sentences” imposed under outdated laws. He described the action as “an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families.”
“With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history,” Biden noted, adding that he may issue further clemency measures before transferring power to President-elect Donald Trump on Monday.
Last month, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals and issued 39 pardons, including one for his son, Hunter Biden, who had faced a potential prison sentence after convictions for gun and tax-related offenses.
In December, Biden also commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 inmates on federal death row. However, three individuals were excluded from the move: the Boston Marathon bomber from 2013, the gunman who murdered 11 Jewish worshippers at a synagogue in 2018, and the white supremacist responsible for killing nine Black churchgoers in Charleston in 2015.
Reports indicate Biden has been deliberating whether to issue blanket pardons for some allies and former officials amid concerns they might face “retribution” under Trump’s administration.
President-elect Trump, who has signaled plans to resume federal executions paused during Biden’s tenure, has been critical of Biden’s clemency efforts.
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