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In a historic exercise of executive clemency, President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals who were serving the remainder of their sentences in home confinement under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Additionally, he has pardoned 39 individuals convicted of non-violent offenses who have successfully reintegrated into society and are contributing to their communities.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, was later expanded to allow certain medically vulnerable federal prisoners to be released into home confinement to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Since its inception, approximately 13,000 people were transferred to home confinement, with negligible recidivism rates, suggesting that many individuals in federal prisons, who are disproportionately Black and Brown, do not need to be there.
President Biden emphasized the nation’s foundational values in his statement: “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances.” He expressed his privilege in extending mercy to those who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring their opportunity to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities.
Among those pardoned are veterans, parents, and active community members, including a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters, a decorated military veteran, a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor, and a doctoral student in molecular biosciences.
Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Director of Policy Demetria McCain remarked, “Today’s commutations and pardons are a remarkable effort to address injustice and promote rehabilitation, and yet we remain at a critical inflection point where thousands of people who would have shorter sentences under today’s laws and policies are still confined behind bars.” She urged continued action, expressing hope that President Biden will “commute the sentences of every person on federal death row,” citing concerns about racial bias in the death penalty.
Margaret Huang, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, praised the President’s actions, stating, “The President’s bold action today provides justice to many Black and Brown communities in the Deep South, who are disproportionately and over-harshly punished due to discriminatory and abusive law enforcement practices.” She emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for quality education and fair-paying work to improve community safety and urged the administration to continue reviewing clemency petitions, particularly for those on federal death row.
This significant act of clemency comes amid pressure from advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers for President Biden to utilize his pardon powers more extensively, especially following his recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden. The administration has indicated plans to continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law.
As President Biden approaches the end of his term, these actions reflect a commitment to criminal justice reform and the promotion of rehabilitation and second chances for those who have demonstrated their readiness to reintegrate into society.
