President Biden's final list of commutations was released Friday afternoon, revealing that nearly 2,500 inmates had their sentences reduced. This move solidifies Biden's position as the president with the highest number of pardons and commutations granted to individuals. The individuals on the list were identified as having received excessively harsh sentences for drug crimes, particularly in comparison to the sentences they would receive today.
In a statement released on Friday, President Biden highlighted that the clemency action aimed to provide relief to those who had been subject to outdated sentencing practices, such as disparities between crack and powder cocaine sentencing. Biden emphasized the need to address these sentencing inequities, pointing to legislative efforts like the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act as steps towards achieving more equitable sentencing practices.
