Written by Eliza Dorton
Edited by Annika Lilja
As President Joe Biden’s term comes to a close, the media is closely watching his final decisions in office. In mid-December, Biden made the largest act of clemency in one day in presidential history when he announced he would be commuting the prison sentences for almost 1,500 people as well as pardoning 39 other people.
The 1,500 individuals had been serving lengthy prison sentences that would be shorter under current laws and policies. They had been in home confinement since the COVID pandemic, and Biden stated that they had fully reintegrated into their communities. The 39 pardons were of people who had committed non-violent drug offenses in their early 20s or younger.
On December 23rd, the White House announced that Biden had also commuted the sentences of 37 men on federal death row to life without parole. Biden stated in an official statement, “I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss.” He remarked on his position on the death penalty, stating, “But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”
Further, Biden still faces criticism for pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, in early December. The younger Biden had been convicted on both gun and drug charges. Although he faced pressure from criminal justice advocates to take steps to rectify inequities towards the end of his presidency, the cries became louder when he announced that he had made the decision to pardon his son after repeatedly stating he would not do so.
In his statement on December 1st, the president noted, “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son” and that this fact was the reason for the pardoning, Biden faced negative reactions following Hunter’s pardon from both Democrats and Republicans.
Sources:
Bruenig, Elizabeth. "Joe Biden's Moral Wisdom." The Atlantic, Dec. 2024, www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/biden-death-row-commuted-sentence/681167/. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Keith, Tamara, and Deepa Shivaram. "Biden Commutes Sentences for 1,500 People. Some Say He Could Do a Lot More." NPR, 12 Dec. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/12/12/nx-s1-5226683/biden-commutations-pardons. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Mueller, Julia, and Cheyanne M. Daniels. "5 Things to Know about Biden's 1,500 Clemencies, Pardons." The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024, thehill.com/homenews/administration/5037443-biden-pardons-clemencies-5-things/. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
"Statement from President Biden." The White House, 1 Dec. 2024, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/01/statement-from-president-joe-biden-11/. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Federal Death Row Commutations. 23 Dec. 2024, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/23/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-federal-death-row-commutations/. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.