President Biden Grants Largest Single-Day Clemency, Pardons 39 Nonviolent Offenders, Commutes 1,500 Home Confinement Sentences

Dec 12, 2024, 09:29 PM

President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals released on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and pardoned 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes, marking the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern U.S. history, according to the White House. The actions reflect the president's commitment to providing meaningful second chances and addressing systemic injustices in the legal system. Biden has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any recent predecessors in their first terms. Among those pardoned are three Texans—Nathaniel Reed III, a veteran who served 20 years with honor; Mireya Walmsley, a healthcare leader in disasters and pandemics; and Lashundra Wilson, a dedicated community member—as well as individuals from Washington, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, Florida, and New York. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, "He wants to take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances. This is what this is all about." Biden also pledged to "take more steps in the weeks ahead" as his administration continues to review clemency petitions with just over a month left in his White House tenure.