President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he has granted clemency to 16 people who were convicted of non-violent drug crimes, the latest use of his clemency power to address racial disparities in the justice system, the Associated Press Reports. Biden issued pardons to 11 men and women and commuted the sentences of five more. Many of the individuals getting clemency had received “disproportionately longer” sentences than they would have under current law, Biden said in a statement.
As he campaigns for reelection in November, the Democratic president is grappling with how to boost support from communities of color that heavily supported him over Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 election. “Like my other clemency actions, these pardons and commutations reflect my overarching commitment to addressing racial disparities and improving public safety,” Biden said. Biden issued his most recent pardons in December 2023 to thousands of people who were convicted of the use and simple possession of marijuana. An Associated Press analysis of Justice Department data shows that Biden has granted 129 commutations, more than any predecessor in their first term, dating to Richard Nixon. Nixon issued the most pardons at 691.