In what the White House described as the largest act of clemency in a single day in the country’s modern history, US President, Joe Biden has commuted nearly 1,500 prison sentences and pardoned 39 people.

The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017.

In a statement, Biden said that he chose to pardon 39 people “who have shown successful rehabilitation” as well as a “commitment to making their communities stronger and safer.”

“I am also commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences – many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices.”
Joe Biden

The White House disclosed that the commutations were for people who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

White House lawyers said that those pardoned had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses and turned their lives around.

They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
Joe Biden

The clemency follows a broad pardon for Biden’s son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes.

Republicans seized on that decision, attacking the Democratic president for using his power to shield a family member from legal judgements.

They accused Biden of enforcing a separate standard of justice for those with political connections.

The US President had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons.

He has also broadly pardoned those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia and pardoned former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex.

Biden To Take More Steps

Also in the statement, Biden said that he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead.

“My Administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances.”
Joe Biden

Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January.

He’s also weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office.

Rep. Jim McGovern and 34 other lawmakers are urging the President to pardon Environmental and Human Rights Lawyer, Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron.

Others are advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row prisoners.

His Attorney-General, Merrick Garland, paused federal executions.

Biden had said on the campaign trail in 2020 that he wanted to end the death penalty, but he never did, and now, with Donald Trump coming back into office, it’s likely executions will resume.

During his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of federal executions, carried out during the height of the pandemic.