Early Friday morning in the final hours of his tenure in the White House, President Joe Biden handed down thousands of commutations.
"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. With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history," Biden released in a statement.
"Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes. As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities," he continued. "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. I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons."
Notably, the First Step Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018.
Biden's latest round of commutations comes two weeks after he took dozens of federal inmates off of death row. That move included child rapists and murderers.
The girl in this picture was 12-year-old Lexis Roberts.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) December 23, 2024
Steven Sanders killed her mom in front of her, kidnapped her, and then slit her throat.
Joe Biden just commuted his death sentence. pic.twitter.com/Bhl9kLi100
Laura Hobbs (8) and Krystal Tobias (9) were sexually assaulted and murdered. While prosecutors went after someone else, their actual killer, Jorge Avila-Torrez, went on to kill at least one other woman and rape others. Biden just commuted his death sentence. pic.twitter.com/teFmiBx0DM
— AG (@AGHamilton29) December 23, 2024
In early December Biden issued a broad pardon for his son, covering a decade, after repeatedly vowing never to do so.