Biden Commutes Sentences Of Another 2,500 Drug Offenders

President Joe Biden announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of 2,500 drug offenders in what will be one of his final actions in office. 

Biden said that those whose sentences were commuted were “non-violent” offenders who had been given “disproportionately long sentences.” The announcement means that Biden has now handed out the most pardons or commutations of any president. 

“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,” Biden said. “With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history.”

He said the action was for individuals who “received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine” and “outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes.”

In his statement, Biden pointed to multiple sentencing laws passed by Congress, including the First Step Act, which then-President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. 

“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,” Biden said. “I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.”

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Biden previously commuted the sentences of 1,500 people, issued 39 pardons for individuals convicted of non-violent crimes, and gave a mass pardon for people convicted of marijuana possession. 

Biden has faced criticism over his clemency actions, including when he commuted the death sentences of 37 of 40 prisoners on federal death row, each of whom had been convicted of murder, just two days before Christmas. 

One of those whose death sentence was commuted was Thomas Sanders, who was convicted in 2014 of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Lexis Roberts. Sanders kidnapped Roberts after he shot her mother in the head. He held Roberts captive for several days before he shot her four times, cut her throat, and hid her body in the woods. 

Biden was also sharply criticized for his sweeping pardon of his son Hunter, which came after he had previously promised not to do so.