Biden commuted sentences for 1,500 people and pardoned 39, setting a record for 'mercy treatment'

On December 12th, Jinshi Data reported that the White House announced in a statement on Thursday that President Biden will grant clemency to nearly 1,500 people and pardon 39 non-violent offenders. This is the largest-scale "leniency treatment" made by a US president in a single day. The majority of those granted clemency are individuals who were released from prison during the COVID-19 pandemic and placed under house arrest. Some Republicans have attempted to push legislation to force these individuals back into prison. The individuals who were pardoned are mainly those who committed non-violent crimes, including those who possessed marijuana. Two weeks ago, Biden pardoned his son Hunter, who was convicted of gun possession and tax evasion. This decision has received severe criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, as Biden had previously stated that he would not pardon his son. It is reported that the second-largest single-day "leniency treatment" was promoted by former President Obama, who approved 330 "leniency treatments" shortly before leaving office in 2017.