(Reuters) – President Joe Biden, who leaves office next week, announced on Friday that he was commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses, saying he had now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any predecessor.
Those who benefited from Friday’s action “are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy and practice,” Biden said in a statement.
The move makes it easier to pardon individuals convicted on the basis of discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine and outdated sentencing enhancements for drug-related crimes, the White House said in a statement.
In December, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 federal death row inmates, turning them into life in prison without parole, before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office on January 20.
He also announced in the same month that he would pardon 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes and commute the sentences of nearly 1,500 others serving long prison terms.
Biden has faced criticism for pardoning his son Hunter, who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted of firearms-related charges.
Defense attorneys and civil rights groups have stepped up efforts to highlight compelling cases and have launched campaigns to help those they believe have been wrongfully convicted or are serving excessive sentences for nonviolent crimes.
Presidents usually order a round of pardons near the end of their term.
Trump has promised to pardon at least some of his supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in a failed attempt to prevent Congress from confirming Biden’s 2020 election victory.
