President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 prisoners and pardoned 39 nonviolent offenders yesterday, the largest single-day act of clemency by a US president since records began in 1900. The majority of those whose sentences were commuted were on home confinement since the pandemic.
The decision comes a week after the president unconditionally pardoned his son, Hunter, of all gun and tax convictions, walking back assurances he would not do so. More pardons are expected in the coming weeks, with Biden reportedly considering preemptively pardoning officials who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol.
The US Constitution's Article II grants the president broad power to pardon federal prisoners (which removes guilt) or commute (lessen) their sentences, except in impeachment cases. Every US president serving a full term has used this power, commonly used toward the end of a president's tenure. See major pardons from history here.
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