President Joe Biden is making history with his unprecedented use of presidential clemency. Recently, he commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals on home confinement and pardoned 39 nonviolent offenders, setting a new record for the largest single-day act of clemency, surpassing even Barack Obama’s 330 actions in a single day.
Biden’s actions reflect his radical approach to criminal justice reform. By commuting sentences and granting pardons, he’s placing emphasis on second chances for individuals who’ve shown remorse and rehabilitation. But this aggressive push has larger consequences, particularly in a system already known for its overreliance on incarceration.
Biden’s clemency spree, while meant to help reintegrate these individuals into society, also underlines his disdain for established laws. With the U.S. having one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, this could fuel a growing belief that anyone, regardless of the crime, can be granted a second chance simply by showing basic remorse. Furthermore, bypassing traditional judicial processes for these mass pardons creates a dangerous precedent.
The scale of Biden’s clemency is particularly alarming, outdoing Obama’s record and further pushing his narrative of systemic change. His extensive clemency actions — including pardons for simple marijuana possession — send a message that the justice system’s severity may be irrelevant if the administration disagrees with it.
These decisions are not just about forgiveness. They send a message that the president’s vision for justice supersedes traditional processes. By bypassing legal frameworks, Biden risks making a mockery of the criminal justice system and possibly emboldening future administrations to use executive power recklessly.
Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/biden-commutes-1500-sentences-pardons-39
https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-issues-record-clemency-actions
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/dec/12/biden-pardons-1500-commutes-39-sentences/