Official announcements from the White House or public records of presidential clemency actions

Biden Commutes 1,500 Sentences, Pardons 39 Non-Violent Offenders in Largest Single-Day Clemency

Dec 12, 2024, 11:40 AM

President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 individuals who were released from prison to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and pardoned 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes, including drug offenses. This marks the largest single-day act of clemency in modern U.S. history. The White House announced that the commutations are for people who have been serving their sentences at home for at least one year after their release. In a statement, Biden said: 'Today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown 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.'