US President Joe Biden has reduced the prison terms of 11 people serving decades-long sentences for non-violent drug charges and pardoned potentially thousands of others with federal or Washington, DC marijuana possession offences.
Key points:
- Thousands of people convicted of simple possession of cannabis have been pardoned in the US
- Joe Biden’s latest round of clemencies are targeting racial disparities in the justice system
- The pardon builds on a similar round issued before the 2022 midterm elections
Biden said the actions were meant to address disparities in sentencing that have long taken a toll on the black community, and to expand his commitment to marijuana reform.
“America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law,” he said in a statement.
“Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger.”
The United States has less than 5 per cent of the world’s population but a fifth of its prisoners.
“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” he said.
“Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
A disproportionate share are people of colour, who make up a sizeable amount of Biden’s base of support.
Biden is gearing up for…