Washington, D.C. — Today, President Biden announced that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Up to his final days in office, President Biden cemented his legacy as a true champion for justice, second chances, and compassion. His commutation of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses shows a strong commitment to addressing the injustices and fundamental inequities that are ingrained in America’s criminal justice system. Biden’s actions seek to address the federal sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine—essentially two forms of the same drug—that have disproportionately harmed Black people and people of color, and largely contributed to the War on Drugs and mass incarceration.
With this action, President Biden has issued more pardons and commutations than any other president in history. He has taken a series of clemency actions during his presidency that will have a huge impact on not just directly affected individuals, but their families and communities as well. While President Biden’s term is approaching its end, we hope his actions will continue to be an example for leaders across the country and that state governors will utilize their clemency powers broadly to right the historic wrongs of the criminal legal system.
Related Resource: “Clemency 101: How Sentences Can Be Pardoned or Commuted” by Kenny Lo, Betsy Pearl, and Akua Amaning
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Julia Cusick at [email protected].