Overview

• President Joe Biden has commuted or pardoned the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, marking the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history.
• Biden cited the need to address disproportionately long sentences handed down under outdated laws as the primary reason for his decision.
• This move builds on previous clemency actions, including the reduction of sentences for 1,500 individuals last month and the commutation of 37 federal death sentences to life imprisonment.
• The White House has not yet released the names of those granted clemency, but Biden signaled the possibility of additional actions before his term ends on Monday.
• Biden's decision contrasts sharply with the stance of incoming President Donald Trump, who has expressed support for expanding the use of the death penalty.