President Joe Biden will commute the sentences of nearly 1,500 offenders and pardon 39 others, which the White House said early Thursday was the largest number of sentences and clemency granted in a single day.
Explaining what could be a decisive act in the final days of his presidency, Biden said in a statement: “America was built on the promise of opportunity and second chances.”
Biden continued. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to those who have shown repentance and rehabilitation, giving Americans the opportunity to participate in everyday life and contributing to their communities, and taking steps to eliminate disparities in to eliminate sentencing for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
The move comes nearly two weeks after Biden announced he had pardoned his son Hunter, who was set to be sentenced Thursday on a conviction on federal gun charges. He had also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of federal tax evasion. Biden had previously ruled out using his executive powers to pardon his son.
All 1,500 perpetrators are “non-violent” and have been placed under home confinement under the Covid-19-era CARES Act for at least a year, the White House said, adding that they had demonstrated ” successful rehabilitation and strong commitment’. to make their communities safer.”
Many of these defendants would receive lesser sentences if tried under current laws, policies and practices, Biden said.
The 39 pardoned individuals were all convicted of “non-violent crimes.” They include a decorated military veteran who volunteers at a local church, a nurse who leads natural disaster relief efforts and an addiction counselor who works with youth.
President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 330 perpetrators in one of his last acts before leaving office in 2017, at the time the largest such series of sentences in history.
The White House said Biden is the first president to grant “categorical pardons” to people convicted of marijuana use and possession, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted because of their sexual orientation.
“The President has issued more sentence reductions 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 coming weeks” and that his administration would “continue to review clemency requests.”
Biden and aides have discussed the idea of issuing preemptive pardons to people who President-elect Donald Trump has scorned in recent years as he hinted at plans for retaliation, two sources familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
Biden will leave office on January 20, 2025, with Trump’s inauguration.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
