U.S. President Joe Biden, on Thursday, announced the commutation of 1,500 sentences and the pardon of 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes in the largest single-day act of clemency in the country’s modern-day history.
The commutations applied to people who were released from prison to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons, last year, said out of 13,000 people released in 2020 to extended home confinement, only 27 of them were rearrested or returned to prison custody for committing a new crime, ranging from assaults, drugs and human trafficking.
These early releases were implemented to curb the spread of the virus in prisons, as 1 in 5 prisoners had contracted the virus, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement released on Thursday, Biden said the commutation was extended to those involved in drug and non-violent offenders and who have so far shown remorse for their actions, promising to keep reviewing clemency petitions before he leaves office.
He said, “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances.
“As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated 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 offenses,” he added.
Biden who had earlier granted 122 commutations and 21 pardons to individuals convicted of marijuana possession and individuals who have transformed their lives and contributed meaningfully to their communities.
Among those recently pardoned is a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters, a church deacon working as an addiction counselor, a doctoral student in molecular biosciences, and a decorated military veteran.
Biden, who had repeatedly said he would not use clemency for family members, said the prosecution in his son’s case had been “poisoned by politics.”