President Biden on Friday commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 convicted criminals — setting a new record for most individual pardons and commutations ever issued by a president.
Those benefiting from the president’s latest sweeping move are nonviolent drug offenders serving what Biden deemed “disproportionately long sentences” relative to what they would have received under current-day laws and policies.
“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who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said in a statement.
“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,” the president added.
Biden boasted about his new record — and said he may not be done with three days still to go until Donald Trump’s inauguration day.
