Biden Administration to Ramp Up Clemency

This article was first published on May 10, 2021. It describes what was known then. It is not current news.

What does clemency mean?

Clemency means mercy. In the federal system, it is the President’s power to forgive a federal crime or shorten a federal sentence. It covers federal crimes only.

There are two main kinds. A pardon is official forgiveness. It does not erase the conviction from your record, but it can remove some legal limits that come with it. A commutation shortens a sentence someone is serving now. It does not erase the conviction either.

What was happening in May 2021?

In spring 2021, the Biden White House held meetings, including a Zoom call, with criminal justice reform advocates and formerly incarcerated people. It was described as the first in a series of calls.

Reports said the White House did not plan to wait until the end of the term to use clemency. The focus was said to be people serving long sentences for drug crimes, and people who were sick or elderly.

While campaigning, President Biden said he would use the clemency power to “secure the release of individuals facing unduly long sentences for certain non-violent and drug crimes.” Using clemency was seen as a fairly quick way to keep that promise and push reform forward.

At the start of 2021, about 15,000 clemency petitions were waiting at the Department of Justice: 3,211 pardon petitions and 11,804 commutation petitions, according to the Department’s clemency statistics.

That did not mean decisions would be rushed. The White House said any grant would go through a careful review process. Clemency was also seen as one way for President Biden to pick up where President Obama left off on criminal justice issues that mattered to both of them.

Where can you read about federal clemency today?

Criminal Center helps people prepare federal clemency petitions. Every petition is decided by the President, and no result can be promised. For current information about federal pardons and commutations, see clemency.com.

Current information on federal pardons and commutations: clemency.com