Something dramatic just happened in Joe Biden’s final days in office.
Americans were not prepared for this to take place.
Joe Biden just organized a massive prisoner release.
Presidents often use their pardon power – letting people off the hook for various crimes and giving them a clean slate – as their time in office draws to a close.
But Joe Biden has set a new record for presidential pardons, one that will be very difficult for future presidents to break.
Biden commuted the sentences of over 1,500 people, letting them out of prison, as well as pardoning 39 people.
Of course, this is in addition to the pardon Biden just gave his son Hunter.
Biden added to that by letting thousands of others off the hook in a bombshell piece of news that’s had D.C. buzzing for days.
According to The Hill, “President Biden announced pardons for 39 people and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 others Thursday, setting a new daily record for clemency with a focus on those who were under home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The sweeping act of clemency came as Biden has been under pressure to pardon more people after he granted one for his son, Hunter. The president said in a statement he would take more steps in the weeks ahead before he leaves office.”
It would seem a bit rash if Biden’s main reason for doing this was political pressure in the wake of his decision to pardon Hunter.
The article continues, “Biden announced pardons for 39 individuals who he said had successfully rehabilitated their lives and contributed to their communities. They were each convicted of nonviolent crimes, the White House said, and included a military veteran, a nurse who led natural disaster responses and an addiction counselor.”
“The roughly 1,500 individuals who had their sentences commuted had been under home confinement for at least a year under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a law passed in 2020 during the pandemic that allowed for extended home confinement for certain prisoners when COVID-19 was rampant.”
One can only hope these people are ready to contribute to society in a positive way instead of relapsing.
There’s nothing wrong with giving people a second chance, but it should be done without putting the rest of society in unnecessary danger
Joe Biden’s decision to commute so many sentences and pardon so many people is a risk, but it’s clearly one he was willing to take.