Photos: YouTube Screenshots
The following statement, by President Joe Biden, was released by the White House today announcing the clemency approvals of Americans who have been imprisoned for non-violent drug offenses including marijuana use.
“America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger. That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality.
First, I am commuting the sentences of 11 people who are serving disproportionately long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. All of them would have been eligible to receive significantly lower sentences if they were charged with the same offense today.
Second, following my pardon of prior federal and D.C. offenses of simple possession of marijuana, I am issuing a Proclamation that will pardon additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law. Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.
It’s time that we right these wrongs.
Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either. That’s why I continue to urge Governors to do the same with regard to state offenses and applaud those who have since taken action.
I have exercised my clemency power more than any recent predecessor has at this point in their presidency. And while today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equal justice, address racial disparities, strengthen public safety, and enhance the wellbeing of all Americans.”
Background:
Granting Sentence Commutations to Nonviolent Drug Offenders: On Friday, President Biden will commute the sentences of 11 individuals currently serving disproportionately long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. Due to reforms, each of these clemency recipients would have been eligible for reduced sentences, had they been sentenced today. This clemency grant represents the President’s commitment to addressing unjustified disparities in sentencing.
These individuals – like so many others – were convicted of drug offenses and sentenced to decades in prison, including in some cases mandatory life sentences. Some individuals received sentences that are twice as long as they likely would have been today and could not benefit from subsequent changes in the law.
Others, with crack cocaine convictions, would not be serving the same sentences if they were convicted of a comparable powder cocaine offense. Law enforcement and experts now recognize that the crack-to-powder sentencing disparity is not supported by science, does not advance public safety, and disproportionately impacts Black communities. That is why the President supports efforts that would help eliminate this sentencing difference. And the Attorney General has also expressed support for eliminating the crack-to-powder sentencing disparity and has directed federal prosecutors to promote the equivalent treatment of crack and powder cocaine offenses.
As the President proposed as a Senator in 2007, a fair criminal justice system requires that Congress must end, once and for all, this unjust and racially discriminatory sentencing disparity. And Congress must make these changes fully retroactive.
Pardoning Offenses for Marijuana Use and Possession: Additionally, on Friday the President will sign a Proclamation to pardon additional marijuana offenses, including for use and possession on certain Federal lands. This action builds on the President’s commitment to marijuana reform, and his October 2022 Proclamation pardoning simple possession under Federal and D.C. law. The President has repeatedly emphasized that criminal records for marijuana possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.
