The Sentencing Project Applauds President Biden’s Drug Offense Clemency
President Biden announced that he was commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people serving disproportionately long sentences for drug convictions.
Related to: Incarceration, Drug Policy
[Washington, D.C.] — Today, President Biden announced that he was commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people serving disproportionately long sentences for drug convictions compared with the punishments they would receive today under sentencing laws, policy and practices.
While the contours of today’s clemency announcement are not fully known yet, new research from The Sentencing Project found 939 people are serving a life sentence for a drug-related crime in federal prisons.
Kara Gotsch, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project, released the following statement:
“Cruel and excessive prison sentences that have overwhelmingly harmed Black communities have been the cornerstone of federal drug policy for generations. Today’s commutations from President Biden are a welcome relief for countless families who have endured punishments for loved ones that far exceed their utility. The Sentencing Project commends President Biden’s bold, corrective use of his clemency powers which will help define his legacy.
American communities, disproportionately Black and Brown, have long borne the scars of the Drug War. Extreme and racist sentences for crack cocaine offenses tore apart families. Children grew up visiting their parents behind bars. Those parents are now elders, yearning to hold their grandchildren. Justice is served by allowing these individuals to return home. Their debt to society was long ago paid.”
