President Joe Biden announced on Friday his decision to reduce sentences for nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses.
With this decision, Joe Biden becomes the president who has granted more pardons and sentence reductions than any other U.S. president.
The president stated that these actions aim to correct sentencing disparities, as those benefiting “would have received shorter sentences if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices.”
“This action is an important step toward correcting historical wrongs, addressing sentencing inequities, and providing individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after serving long sentences,” Biden said in a statement.
The White House did not release the names of those who will receive sentence reductions.
President Biden also announced that there could be further actions on sentence reductions, promising that he would use the time before President Trump’s inauguration on Monday “to explore the possibility of additional pardons and sentence reductions.”
This may include pardons for officials and allies whom the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by the incoming administration.
Last month, the outgoing president pardoned 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes and reduced sentences for approximately 1,500 others. These decisions were the largest taken in a single day.
Also, in December, President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 individuals sentenced to death by federal courts, reducing their sentences to life imprisonment.
Recently, Biden also pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted on federal charges for gun possession and tax evasion.
Presidents typically sign a series of pardons at the end of their terms.
Just before midnight, on the last night of his first term, Republican President Trump signed a series of pardons and sentence reductions for over 140 individuals, including his key ally Steve Bannon, rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, and former members of Congress, reports VOA.
Trump’s final act as president in his first term was a pardon for Al Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News anchor Jeanine Pirro, one of his most vocal supporters. Al Pirro had been convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion charges and sentenced to over two years in prison in 2000.
