Biden commutes 1,500 sentences, pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency
It is the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history, exceeding Barack Obama’s 330 before he left office in 2017
The commutations announced on Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had Covid-19, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have showed 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 offences.”
