- He commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals with many on home confinement since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Biden has also granted pardons to 39 individuals for successful rehabilitation and community service.
- One such pardoned person is Stevoni Wells Doyle, a Utahn who became a licensed counselor after nonviolent offense sentences.
President Joe Biden, in the waning days of his administration, announced Thursday he was granting clemency to 1,500 individuals, setting the record for the most granted in a single day.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement on Thursday.
“As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
Many in the group, Biden noted, “would receive lower sentences if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices.” As The Associated Press noted, those receiving clemency were released from prison during the COVID-19 pandemic and sentenced to home confinement.
“These commutation recipients,” the statement said, “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance.”
Biden also pardoned 39 people who “have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer.”
Who received clemency and pardons?
One Utahn from Santaquin is among those being pardoned. Stevoni Wells Doyle, now 47, “pleaded guilty to non-violent offenses at the age of 24,” per the White House press release. “After receiving her master’s degree while in prison, Doyle began working as a licensed substance use disorder counselor. Her community views her as ‘a great mentor and a person of integrity.’”
Others from the Mountain West include:
- Lori Moore from Rock Springs, Wyoming. Moore, 46, committed a drug offense at the age of 19. “Since her release, she has maintained consistent employment in the mining industry and has furthered her education by earning certificates,” the White House stated. She is also a member of two charities and is described as “honest, courageous, trustworthy and dependable” by her friends, neighbors and colleagues.
- Johnnie Earl Williams, Denver, Colorado. Convicted of a nonviolent offense, Williams served as a criminal justice specialist and addiction counselor. He volunteers and has received recognition for his charitable work. Williams is described as “honest, loyal, and compassionate” by the members of his community.
- Lora Nicole Wood, Maxwell, Nevada. The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to a nonviolent drug offense two decades ago. Following her release, Wood, also a parent, has kept a steady job. She gives back to the community by organizing food drives and fundraisers and volunteering at animal welfare organizations. She is praised for her “work ethic, devotion to her children, and volunteer endeavors.”
Will Biden pardon more individuals?
Although Biden set a record Thursday — and sparked controversy over pardoning his son Hunter Biden on Dec. 1 — he indicated his administration isn’t finished.
“I will take more steps in the weeks ahead,” said the outgoing president. “My administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances.”
Lauren-Brooke Eisen, a senior director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, in a statement on Dec. 10 urged Biden to use his clemency powers to help more than 40 men on federal death row. Their “sentences can be commuted to life without parole, more than 6,000 serving racially disparate drug sentences.”
“Starting on January 20, however, Donald Trump will have the power to reverse many of the current administration’s policies — he has already pledged to reverse some of them. But he cannot reverse acts of clemency,” said Eisen. Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, James Clyburn of South Carolina, Mary Scanlon of Pennsylvania and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, as well as Pope Francis, the highest Catholic authority in the world, have also made calls for Biden to pardon those facing the death penalty.
What’s Trump’s record?
Biden pledged to “strengthen America’s commitment to justice and reform our criminal justice system” while on the campaign trail. He has not presided over any federal executions. In contrast, 13 prisoners were executed under the Trump administration. He proposed the death penalty for migrants who commit crimes against U.S. citizens or are convicted of drug and human trafficking during his time on the trail.
President-elect Trump pardoned 237 people in his first term. The list included some individuals, like Clint Lorance, Mathew Golsteyn and Michael Behenna, who were convicted of war crimes, as well as those in his innermost circle, like Charles Kushner, the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump, and Roger Stone, a Republican operative.
He also pardoned rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black for drug-related charges.
More recently, the president-elect told Time that he plans on pardoning those individuals convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“It’s going to start in the first hour,” he said. “Maybe the first nine minutes.”