President Joe Biden is granting clemency to about 1,500 individuals who were released from prison and put on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he is pardoning 39 Americans who were convicted of nonviolent offenses. This marks the largest single-day clemency action in modern history. The commutations, announced on Thursday, apply to individuals who have completed at least one year of their home confinement sentences.
Due to the severe risks of COVID-19 transmission in prisons, some inmates were released to prevent further spread. At one point, one in five prisoners had contracted the virus. President Biden plans to take further steps in the coming weeks and continue to review clemency petitions. The previous largest single-day clemency action was carried out by Barack Obama in 2017, when he granted clemency to 330 individuals before leaving office.
In a statement, President Biden emphasized the importance of offering second chances and opportunities for remorseful individuals to reintegrate into society and contribute positively. He also aims to address sentencing disparities, particularly for nonviolent offenders, such as those convicted of drug offenses.
The clemency also includes a pardon for his son Hunter, who faced charges related to firearms and taxes. President Biden is facing pressure from advocacy groups to consider pardons for various groups, including federal death row inmates and individuals involved in investigations related to the 2020 election.
The individuals pardoned on Thursday had demonstrated significant rehabilitation and positive contributions to society. They include a woman who led disaster response teams, a church deacon working as a counselor, a doctoral student, and a military veteran. President Biden had previously granted 122 commutations and 21 other pardons, showing a commitment to addressing issues of justice and reform.
Efforts are also underway to secure pardons for environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger and federal death row prisoners. Attorney General Merrick Garland has halted federal executions, but the threat of resuming executions looms with the possible return of the previous administration. President Biden has expressed a desire to abolish the death penalty, though concrete actions have yet to be taken.
President Biden is facing scrutiny over a series of federal executions carried out amidst the pandemic, raising concerns over the unprecedented use of the death penalty during such challenging times. Prior to these controversial executions, the President had already granted 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. However, more pardons are expected to be issued before Biden’s term ends on Jan. 20, with speculations surrounding the possibility of safeguarding against potential prosecution by his predecessor, President Trump, an uncharted territory for the presidential power.
Sources close to the matter reveal that President Biden has been contemplating this move for as long as six months, even before the presidential election, but has been hesitant due to the implications it may have on future precedents. Those familiar with the internal discussions suggest that the President is taking the idea seriously but remains cautious about the implications. Notably, recipients of these potential pardons would need to accept them, creating a moral dilemma for some.
The recent blanket pardon issued by Biden for his son, Hunter, has sparked further debate on the President’s stance on utilizing his pardoning power. While a President can grant pardons to absolve individuals of guilt and punishment, or commute sentences to reduce or eliminate penalties without clearing the wrongdoing, the timing and nature of such pardons have come under intense scrutiny.
In a surprising reversal of his previous stance, Biden justified his decision to pardon his son by citing political interference in the prosecution process. This move, however, has faced criticism from various quarters, with calls for the administration to extend similar considerations to ordinary citizens. Despite this, public sentiment towards Biden’s decision remains divided, with only a minority expressing approval, as per a recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
As the clock ticks towards the end of Biden’s term, the spotlight remains on his exercise of the presidential pardon power. While it is customary for outgoing Presidents to extend mercy through pardons and commutations, the circumstances surrounding Biden’s decisions have raised eyebrows and sparked debates on the ethical use of this authority. The delicate balance between justice, politics, and public perception continues to shape the narrative surrounding these controversial pardons.
The ongoing discourse on presidential pardons underscores the complexities inherent in the exercise of executive clemency. With each pardon carrying profound implications for those involved and the broader societal fabric, the scrutiny on Biden’s choices serves as a litmus test for the ethical standards guiding the highest office in the land. As the transition of power looms large, the legacy of these pardons will echo far beyond the confines of the Oval Office, leaving a lasting imprint on the annals of American political history.
