Biden grants 16 drug convicts clemency

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has granted clemency to 16 people who were convicted of nonviolent drug crimes, issuing pardons to 11 men and women and commuting the sentences of five other people in the latest use of his clemency power to address racial disparities in the justice system.

Biden said in a statement Wednesday many of the individuals getting clemency had received “disproportionately longer” sentences than they would have under current law.

“Like my other clemency actions, these pardons and commutations reflect my overarching commitment to addressing racial disparities and improving public safety,” Biden said.

The president issued his most recent pardons in December to thousands of people who were convicted of the use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia.

A pardon is an expression of forgiveness by the president, commonly granted to recognize that a person convicted of a crime has accepted responsibility for their actions. A pardon doesn’t mean the person is considered innocent, but does restore some rights, such as voting, that are lost upon conviction.

A commutation only reduces a sentence but does not affect a conviction.