President Joe Biden will commute the sentences of almost 1,500 offenders and pardon 39 others in what the White House said early Thursday was the most commutations and clemencies granted in a single day.
Explaining what may become a defining act in the dying days of his presidency, Biden said in a statement: “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances.”
Biden continued, “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
The move comes almost two weeks after Biden announced that he had pardoned his son Hunter, who was due to be sentenced Thursday for a conviction on federal gun charges. He had also pleaded guilty to a separate federal tax evasion charge. Earlier, Biden had ruled out using his executive powers to pardon his son.
All of the 1,500 offenders are “non-violent” and have been placed on home confinement for at least one year under the Covid-19-era CARES Act, the White House said, adding that they had shown “successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer.”
Many of them would receive lower sentences if they were tried under today's laws, policies and practices, Biden said.
The 39 pardoned people were all convicted of "non-violent crimes." They include a decorated military veteran who volunteers at a church, a nurse who leads responses to natural disasters and an addiction counselor who works with young people.
President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 330 offenders in one of his final acts before he left office in 2017, then the biggest single batch of commutations in history.
The White House said Biden is the first president to issue "categorical pardons" for the people convicted of the use and possession of marijuana and to LGBTQ former service members convicted because of their sexual orientation.
"The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms," the White House statement said.
There could be more to come: Biden ended his statement by promising that he would "take more steps in the weeks ahead" and that his administration would "continue reviewing clemency petitions."
Biden and aides have discussed the idea of issuing pre-emptive pardons for people President-elect Donald Trump has scorned in recent years as he has hinted about plans for retribution, two sources familiar with the discussions said.
Biden leaves office on Jan. 20 with the inauguration of Trump.
