WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 31 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses who were on house arrest, the White House announced Friday.
Many would have received a lesser sentence if they had been charged with the same offense today due to changes in the law. A commute means they spend less time in house arrest.
The commutation came as the White House announced a series of policy actions across 20 different agencies designed to improve the criminal justice system, which disproportionately affects black and other non-white communities. The president announced his re-election campaign this week and must keep black voters in his coalition if he wants to win in 2024.
The plan is an effort to expand access to health care, affordable housing and education, and make it easier for those caught up in the system to get jobs, higher education and votes. The effort includes a plan to make more scholarships available to people who need funding for education, and small business loans.
About 600,000 U.S. residents leave prison each year, and another 9 million cycle in and out of prison. As many as one in three Americans has a criminal record. That stigma can make it hard to get a job, go back to school, or start a business.
“Far too many of them face major obstacles in getting a job or a home, getting health care or finding capital to start a business,” said outgoing domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, the first person to hold both national security and domestic policy positions. advisor positions in the White House. She leaves her post after two years and her last day is May 26.
“By investing in crime prevention and a fairer criminal justice system, we can address the root causes of crime, improve individual and community outcomes and ease the burden on police,” she said.
The Democratic president has so far commuted the sentences of 75 other people. He also pardoned thousands convicted of “plain possession” of marijuana under federal law, and others who have long served their sentences.
