Biden commutes sentences for nearly 2,500 non-violent drug offenders convicted on crack cocaine-related charges
CNN
President Joe Biden is granting clemency for nearly 2,500 non-violent drug offenders in the final days in office, placing a focus on sentencing disparities for crack cocaine-related crimes.
President Joe Biden is granting clemency for nearly 2,500 non-violent drug offenders in his final days in office, placing a focus on sentencing disparities for crack cocaine-related crimes. “Today, I am commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice,” Biden said in a statement Friday. “Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes.” The clemency decision will benefit federal prisoners convicted of crack cocaine-related crimes, who have been serving disproportionately long sentences compared to those convicted of powder cocaine offenses, reflecting changes in the law aimed at reducing racial disparities. In 2021, the Biden administration became a vocal advocate for reforming the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, a law signed by President Ronald Reagan. The strict drug policy led to the incarceration of thousands of people of color, specifically Black people, for decades or for life for crack-related offenses, according to the Justice Department. The law imposed an automatic five-year sentence for possessing 5 grams of crack cocaine, while 500 grams of powder cocaine carried the same penalty. Since the November election, criminal justice reform groups have been anxiously waiting for the type of mass clemency for drug offenses in Biden’s latest announcement.
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