President Joe Biden commutes nearly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people

WASHINGTON ? President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic and pardoning 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes.

The move, announced in a statement Thursday, is the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history, the White House said.

Biden said in the statement that he would "take more steps in the weeks ahead" and continue to review clemency petitions to advance "equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances."

The actions came less than two weeks after Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden for gun and tax felonies, igniting a bipartisan backlash and criticism from criminal justice activists who argued others more worthy of a reprieve lacked the same family connections.

More: Who did President Biden pardon? See the full list of names released Thursday

Biden said that many of the 1,499 people whose sentences he is commuting "would receive lower sentences if charged under today's laws, policies and practices" and that they have "successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance."

Biden said the 39 people he is pardoning have shown "commitment to making their communities stronger and safer." Many were convicted of nonviolent drug-related offenses.

White House releases list of clemency, pardon recipients

The White House released a list of the recipients, which appeared to lack household names and instead featured Americans incarcerated for nonviolent crimes. Those receiving pardons include:

• Russell Thomas Portner, a 74-year-old decorated Vietnam War veteran from Toutle, Washington, who the White House said has raised a family and "developed a reputation for charitable generosity and community service" since his nonviolent drug offense.

• Audrey Diane Simone (Audrey Clark) of Prescott, Wisconsin, 63, who is an addiction counselor and a deacon at her church.

• Mireya Aimee Walmsley, 57, a nurse from La Porte, Texas, who has led emergency response teams during hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Harvey, and helped lead vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More: Biden pardons thousands of veterans convicted under military law that banned gay sex

How COVID pushed more inmates to home confinement

The CARES Act, passed by Congress in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic during the Trump presidency, gave authority to the federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer medically vulnerable inmates incarcerated for nonviolent offenses to home confinement.

More than 13,000 inmates were moved from prisons to house arrest through the program.

Democratic allies hail actions as 'significant step forward'

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a close Biden ally who has urged Biden to use his clemency power before leaving office, applauded the actions as as "significant step forward."

"Many people of color and moderate means have been disproportionately burdened by systemic injustices and clemency is a potent tool in the president’s toolbox to remedy some faults in our legal system," he said

Criminal justice advocate renew call for commuting federal death row

Criminal justice groups also praised the clemency actions but used the moment to renew their calls for Biden to act to commute the sentences of all 40 men on federal death row.

Activists have pointed to Biden's campaign promise to end the federal death penalty and prevent President-elect Donald Trump from initiating another series of executions. Trump, during his first term, was the first president to carry out the federal death penalty in 17 years, overseeing 13 executions.

"Now is the time to build on this progress by commuting the sentences of every individual on federal death row to sentences of life imprisonment," said Amy Fettig, acting co-executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution.

"By commuting federal death row, President Biden can protect human dignity, ensure that future administrations cannot weaponize the death penalty, and align our nation with the values of fairness, decency, and equity."

Progressive lawmakers push Biden to do more

Several progressive-leaning House Democrats, including Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, held a news conference this week demanding that Biden commute the sentences of federal death row inmates.

"With 39 days remaining in his presidency, President Biden has the power to continue to use his clemency authority to change and save the lives of many, many other Americans behind the wall," Pressley said in a statement after Biden's announcement.

More: Pressure is on to get Biden to fulfill a campaign promise before he leaves office

Biden outpacing predecessors in commuted sentences

With the latest pardons, the White House said Biden has now issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his predecessors at this point in their terms. That's in addition to several pardons targeting categories of offenses.

In 2022, Biden issued full and complete pardons for simple possession of marijuana. He expanded the pardon the next year to include all people charged with or prosecuted for marijuana offenses on or before the date of the proclamation.

In June, Biden pardoned thousands of veterans who were convicted under a military law that banned gay sex, making them eligible to apply for previously withheld benefits.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden commutes 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people