Official announcements from the White House or news outlets reporting on presidential clemency actions

Biden Grants Largest Single-Day Clemency: 1,500 Sentences Commuted, 39 Pardons Issued

Dec 12, 2024, 02:45 PM

President Joe Biden on Thursday commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who had been released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and pardoned 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes. The White House described this as the largest single-day act of clemency in modern U.S. history, surpassing the previous record set by President Barack Obama, who granted 330 clemency actions before leaving office in 2017. Many of those receiving clemency would have received lower sentences under current laws. Biden stated, 'America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances.' The White House hinted that more acts of clemency could come before President Biden leaves office late next month. Biden's actions have reunited many families and are seen as a significant step toward criminal justice reform.