Biden Commutes Sentences of 2,500 Nonviolent Drug Offenders in Largest Single-Day Clemency

Jan 17, 2025, 10:20 AM

President Joe Biden, in one of his final acts before leaving office next week, announced that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. This action represents the largest single-day act of clemency in U.S. history and makes him the president who has issued the most individual pardons and commutations. The commutations target inmates who received disproportionately long sentences based on old disparities in drug laws, particularly those related to crack cocaine offenses. The move aims to restore the lives of thousands of people who had been victims of unjust crack cocaine laws and address sentencing disparities for nonviolent drug crimes.