Biden achieves clemency record
Date
12/16/2024 5:38:27 AM
(MENAFN) On Thursday, the White House announced that President Joe Biden has granted clemency to a record number of individuals, commuting the sentences of 1,499 people and pardoning 39 non-violent offenders. This marks the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record set by President Barack Obama in 2017 when he commuted 330 sentences.
In addition, earlier this month, Biden issued a blanket pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, who faced federal charges related to tax and gun offenses. The president argued that Hunter's prosecution was Politically motivated. This controversial move comes despite Biden's earlier assurances that he would not intervene in his son's legal matters.
Biden's clemency decisions largely focus on individuals convicted of non-violent crimes, particularly marijuana possession, and former LGBTQI+ service members convicted due to their sexual orientation. Many of those granted clemency were released to home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, when outbreaks in U.S. prisons led to widespread infections.
The clemency actions are part of Biden's broader effort to reform criminal justice and reintegrate individuals into society, a commitment built on his earlier work in Congress, though he has faced criticism for his role in passing the 1994 Crime Bill, which contributed to mass incarceration.
The pardons have received mixed reactions, with only 20% of Americans and 40% of Democrats supporting the decision to pardon Hunter Biden, according to an Associated Press-NORC poll.
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