Biden claims to set modern record for presidential clemency

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said. Additionally, the president pardoned nearly other 40 people convicted of nonviolent offenses including drug offenses. Together, the instances of clemency are the most granted in a single day by any modern U.S. president, the White House said.

How did he justify his actions? All 1,500 people whose home-confinement sentences were commuted have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, the administration said. The 39 non-violent offenders pardoned by the president have turned their lives around, according to the White House.

Is this the first time Biden has issued presidential pardons en masse? In April 2022, Biden pardoned 78 people, many of them convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, the White House said. Just a few months later, he issued a categorical pardon for the offense of simple marijuana possession. Just a few months after that, he granted full pardons to six individuals convicted of minor drug and alcohol-related offenses.

In April 2023, he commuted the sentences of 31 individuals convicted of drug-related offenses. In December 2023, Biden expanded his categorical pardon for simple marijuana possession offenses to attempted possession offenses and simple marijuana use offenses. Biden issued 11 more pardons and five sentence commutations just a few months ago for individuals convicted of drug offenses who had demonstrated a commitment to rehabilitation.

Dig deeper: Read R. Albert Mohler Jr.’s column in WORLD Opinions about President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter Biden.