President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug crimes who are serving far longer sentences than they would receive today (President's Statement available here).
Crack cocaine offenses historically had significantly harsher prison sentences than those for powder cocaine — a difference that disproportionately affected Black men. A bill to address the issue died in the Senate.
Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes. Here is Clemency Recipient List.
Last month, Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 federal prisoners to life in prison without parole. He also commuted 1,500 prison sentences and pardoned 39 people in what the White House called the largest act of clemency in a single day in modern presidential history.
With this action, President Joe Biden has now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history.