WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden has announced that he is commuting the sentences of almost 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to pardoning 39 others who were convicted of nonviolent crimes.

This announcement, made on Thursday, marks the largest single-day clemency action in recent history, according to the White House.

Biden stated that he plans to “take additional actions in the coming weeks” and will keep evaluating clemency requests to promote “equal justice under the law, enhance public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and offer significant second chances.”

These actions follow less than two weeks after Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, over gun and tax-related felonies, stirring bipartisan criticism and discontent among criminal justice advocates who contend that others, who might deserve leniency, don’t share the same connections.

Biden noted that many of the 1,499 individuals receiving commuted sentences “would face lesser sentences if charged under current laws and practices,” highlighting their successful reintegration into society and their families, indicating they deserve another chance.

He added that the 39 individuals he is pardoning have demonstrated a “dedication to strengthening and securing their communities,” with many convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.

White House publishes names of clemency and pardon recipients

The White House also shared a list of those who received clemency and pardons, featuring individuals with nonviolent crime histories rather than well-known figures. Among those pardoned are:

• Russell Thomas Portner, a 74-year-old honored Vietnam veteran from Toutle, Washington, recognized for his charitable work and community contributions since his nonviolent drug offense.
• Audrey Diane Simone (also known as Audrey Clark) from Prescott, Wisconsin, 63, who works as an addiction counselor and serves as a deacon at her church.
• Mireya Aimee Walmsley, 57, a nurse from La Porte, Texas, who has played a crucial role in emergency response during major hurricanes and led COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

How COVID led to increased home confinement for inmates

The CARES Act, enacted in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic under Trump’s administration, authorized the federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer vulnerable inmates serving nonviolent sentences to home confinement.

This initiative resulted in over 13,000 inmates being relocated from prisons to house arrest.

Democratic leaders praise actions as a ‘major advancement’

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a close associate of Biden, commended the move as a “major advancement,” emphasizing that many individuals of color and those from modest backgrounds have faced systemic injustices. He sees clemency as a powerful tool for addressing some of the flaws in the legal system.

Criminal justice advocates renew calls for commuting federal death sentences

While welcoming the clemency measures, criminal justice organizations are using this occasion to reiterate their demands for Biden to commute the sentences of all 40 individuals on federal death row.

Activists refer to Biden’s campaign commitment to abolishing the federal death penalty and stopping any actions from President-elect Donald Trump concerning further executions. Trump was notably the first president to carry out federal executions in 17 years, overseeing 13 during his term.

“Now is the time to build upon this progress by commuting the sentences of every person on federal death row to life imprisonment,” Amy Fettig, acting co-executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution said.

“Commuting the sentences on federal death row would uphold human dignity, ensure that future administrations cannot misapply the death penalty, and align our country with the principles of fairness, decency, and equality.”

Progressive representatives urge Biden to act further

Progressive House Democrats, such as Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, hosted a press conference this week advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row inmates.

“With just 39 days left in his presidency, President Biden has the power to further utilize his clemency authority to change and save many other lives of Americans incarcerated,” Pressley stated after Biden’s announcement.

Biden surpasses former presidents in commuted sentences

With this recent set of pardons, the White House reported that Biden has now provided more sentence commutations during his presidency than any of his predecessors at the same stage in their terms, in addition to forgiving various categories of offenses.

In 2022, Biden granted complete pardons for those convicted of simple marijuana possession. He broadened these pardons in subsequent years to cover all individuals charged with or prosecuted for marijuana-related offenses on or before the proclamation’s effective date.

This June, Biden also pardoned a multitude of veterans convicted under a military regulation that criminalized homosexual acts, allowing them to seek benefits they were previously denied.