These whose sentences had been commuted had been serving “disproportionately lengthy sentences” in comparison with what they’d obtain right now, Biden mentioned in an announcement.
He known as the transfer “an necessary step towards righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and offering deserving people the chance to return to their households”.
“With this motion, I’ve now issued extra particular person pardons and commutations than any president in US historical past,” Biden mentioned, including that he could difficulty additional commutations or pardons earlier than he fingers over energy to President-elect Donald Trump on Monday.
The outgoing president mentioned these receiving clemency had obtained prolonged sentences primarily based on now-discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, which have disproportionately impacted the Black group.
