Biden sets record with mass pardon for drug offenders
US President Joe Biden has announced the commutation of sentences for nearly 2,500 people convicted of drug offences, setting a record for the number of pardons issued.
Biden justified his decision by stating that the convicts are serving "disproportionately long sentences," as he highlighted in a statement.
"Today, I am commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of non-violent drug offences who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences that would be imposed today under current law, policy, and practice," Biden announced.
Record number of pardons
Biden's decision means he has issued more individual pardons than any other president in US history. This is another series of pardons from Biden, who previously commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals convicted of non-violent offences and changed death sentences to life imprisonment for 37 out of 40 prisoners sentenced by federal courts.
Biden noted that he is considering granting further pardons. Previously, he mentioned that he was contemplating "preventive" pardons for individuals and officials at risk of prosecution by Donald Trump's administration. Among those potentially pardoned are former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, former special prosecutor Jack Smith, and General Mark Milley, whom Trump accused of treason.
Biden's decisions have been widely discussed in the context of his policy of reducing sentences for individuals convicted of non-violent offences. Analysts point out that the president is trying to reform the US justice system, which has been criticised for years for the severity of drug-related sentences.
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