President Joe Biden said Friday that he will commute the sentences of more than 2,000 people convicted of nonviolent drug crimes, cementing his legacy as the president who has granted the most individual pardons and commutations in U.S. history.
Biden said in a statement that commuting the nearly 2,500 sentences would help “even out” sentencing disparities.
“Today’s clemency action provides relief to people who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug offenses,” he said.
“This action is an important step toward righting historical wrongs, correcting disparities in sentencing, and giving deserving people the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending too much time behind bars,” he added.
“With this action, I have granted more individual pardons and commutations than any president in American history,” Biden said.
Nearly two dozen Democrats in Congress last month urged Biden to commute the sentences of people affected by sentencing disparities, arguing that harsher penalties for crack cocaine “caused disproportionate harm to communities of color.”
Two laws dramatically changed sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine crimes in the past 15 years.
The Fair Sentencing Act, which became law in 2010, reduced legal penalties for crack cocaine and eliminated the mandatory minimum sentence for possession. The First Step Act, which became law in 2018, allowed reduced sentences to be applied to sentences for crack cocaine offenses prior to the 2010 law.
Last month, Biden commuted nearly 1,500 sentences and granted pardons to 39 people in another sweeping clemency action. A subsequent move to commute 37 death sentences left only a handful of people on death row at the federal level.
According to Department of Justice clemency statistics, President-elect Donald Trump granted 144 pardons and 94 commutations during his first term. President Barack Obama granted 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations in two terms.
Perhaps the most controversial use of Biden’s clemency power came when he pardoned his son Hunter Biden last month. The measure was harshly criticized by Republicans and even some Democrats.
In his statement Friday, Biden indicated he could take further clemency steps before leaving office on Monday.
“I am proud of my clemency record and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons,” he said.
