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Biden Announces Unprecedented Mass Sentence Commutation for 2,500 Criminals

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President Joe Biden proudly announced the commutation of almost 2,500 “non-violent” criminals in a statement on Friday.

Biden has now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history, according to his statement.

“Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said.

“As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities.

“This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars.”

Even with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration just days away, Biden said he still isn’t finished.

“I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons,” Biden said in the statement.

Is this mass commutation a dangerous move?

In a similar action in December, Biden announced clemency for 1,500 criminals — at that time the most in a single day, according to a White House news release.

Later that month, he commuted the sentences of 37 criminals on death row, reclassifying their sentences from execution to life without the possibility of parole.

Two of those death row inmates rejected Biden’s clemency action.

Biden mentioned two laws in his Friday statement.

The first was the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.

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The act reduced the statutory penalties of crack cocaine offenses and eliminated the minimum sentence for possessing it.

The second was the 2018 First Step Act, which allowed the aforementioned law to reduce the penalties for crack cocaine offenses that predated the 2010 law, according to NBC News.

Perhaps Biden’s most controversial pardon was that of his own son Hunter Biden on Dec. 1.

The younger Biden pleaded guilty in 2024 to a nine-count indictment, including three felony tax offenses, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The move was one that both Republicans and Democrats harshly criticized, especially considering that the Biden Administration repeatedly denied the president would pardon Hunter Biden.

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