Biden’s last-minute pardons spark outrage within Justice Department

The decision made by Joe Biden at the end of his presidency to reduce sentences for individuals convicted of drug-related crimes has sparked anger and confusion within the US Department of Justice.

Biden's desire to go down in history as the president who granted the most pardons and sentence reductions led to a disorganized process in the White House, sparking anger and confusion within the Department of Justice, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Biden pardoned too many criminals with violent backgrounds who did not deserve it. 

Only 258, or about 10 per cent, out of 2,500 individuals whose sentences Biden commuted in the final week of his presidency were recommended for this by the Department of Justice.

As his time in office drew to a close, US President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of almost 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.

In a statement, Biden explained that those granted clemency were "serving sentences that were much longer than what they would face under today's laws, policies, and practices."

“With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in US history,” he said.

In December 2024, Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 federal inmates, changing their sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

That same month, he also revealed that he pardoned 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent offenses and reduced the sentences of nearly 1,500 others who were serving lengthy prison terms.

By Naila Huseynova