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January 17, 2025

Prez Biden commutes sentences of "nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses"

After a notably modest use of his clemency powers prior to the latest election, Prez Biden is on a historic clemency tear over the last eight weeks.  Today's actiona are set forth in this "Statement from President Joe Biden on Additional Clemency Actions":

Today, I am commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.  With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history.

Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes.  As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities.  This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars.  I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.

I cannot yet find a list of these notable commutation, but in terms of numbers and the impacts on prisoners and their families, this latest clemency action appears to be the most consequential by Prez Biden to date. And it sound like there might be more coming (though I am inclined to guess any final pardons will most likely be so-called pre-emptive ones).

UPDATE: Now available via the White House is this lengthy list of today's clemency recipients, a total of 2,490 persons.

January 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM | Permalink

Comments

Very unusual. The list has always been on the Pardon Attorney's site right after the announcement is made.

Posted by: beth curtis | Jan 17, 2025 1:00:16 PM

Thanks for posting the list. It's good that these folks will be released as this was long overdue.

Posted by: anon | Jan 17, 2025 6:43:48 PM

President Biden, well done indeed!

Posted by: David | Jan 17, 2025 8:26:16 PM

Q: If the case for the clemencies is so strong, why wasn't it done before the election? Kamala certainly could have used the help.

A: It wasn't done before the election because Biden knew the public would disapprove, and was too cowardly to take political accountability for his acts.

Next Q: What has Biden done to give strong and effective help to families whose teenage kid died of an overdose?

Next A: Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................

Posted by: Bill Otis | Jan 17, 2025 10:29:20 PM

Mr. Otis writes, "If the case for the clemencies is so strong, why wasn't it done before the election? Kamala certainly could have used the help." He surely knows that presidents routinely wait until the end of their time to issue pardons and commutations.

He also writes, "It wasn't done before the election because Biden knew the public would disapprove, and was too cowardly to take political accountability for his acts." In addition to his formidable skills as an appellate write, Mr. Otis now holds himself out as a clairvoyant, able to read Biden's mind.

Posted by: anon | Jan 19, 2025 5:08:46 PM

anon --

Your first paragraph does not even purport to answer my point, and if anything reinforces it by implicitly (and correctly) suggesting that other Presidents acting post-election similarly recognized the unpopularity of their clemencies.

Your second paragraph is simply silly, pretending that the assessment of politicians' motives are just clairvoyance. You can't really believe that.

And you simply walk past my question about what Biden has done to give strong and effective help to families whose teenage kid died of an overdose. Do you have an answer?

BTW, what's your name? I give mine, Doug gives his, why don't you give yours?

Posted by: Bill Otis | Jan 20, 2025 4:21:55 AM

anon,

Is it also “clairvoyant” to discuss why Joe decided to pardon all of his siblings on his last day?

I know if I was POTUS, I would see no need to pardon my family members.

The Biden’s are a crime family. The Medicis of Delmarva. No clairvoyance required.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Jan 20, 2025 2:51:28 PM

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