President Biden announced Friday that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals as his presidency nears its conclusion.
The commutations focus on those convicted of non-violent drug offenses, particularly individuals serving disproportionately long sentences compared to current laws.
“Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences due to outdated policies, including distinctions between crack and powder cocaine and old sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said in a statement.
The president emphasized the importance of addressing sentencing disparities recognized by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 and the First Step Act of 2018. He described the decision as a step toward correcting historic injustices and giving people the chance to reunite with their families after years of incarceration.
This move puts Biden ahead of all past presidents in granting clemency, with more individual pardons and commutations than any other U.S. president. He also highlighted a previous milestone, the “largest single-day grant of clemency” on December 12, when he commuted sentences for 1,500 individuals and pardoned 39 others, many already in home confinement due to COVID-19 policies.
Despite these actions, Biden has faced criticism for some of his clemency decisions. He commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life without parole and pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, for crimes committed or potentially committed between 2014 and 2024.
Biden expressed pride in his clemency record and confirmed plans to continue reviewing cases before leaving office.
As of January 13, nearly 2,000 individuals await pardons post-sentencing, and over 6,600 commutation requests remain under review by the Department of Justice.
