WASHINGTON, D.C. – FWD.us Executive Director Zoë Towns issued the following statement today after President Biden’s latest historic commutations:
“These final clemency actions will forever define President Biden’s legacy on justice.
“Too often, our criminal justice reforms only apply to the law going forward, leaving behind the very people and injustices that moved us to change. For example, we reached consensus long ago that the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity could not be defended on public health or public safety grounds and that it fueled already stark racial disparities. Yet many are still incarcerated on sentences that could not be handed down today.
“We’re grateful for President Biden’s final acts of leadership in delivering relief, justice, and mercy to thousands and, importantly, calling attention to the harms of extreme sentencing and the benefits of reform.”
Additional Resources
- Civil Rights Organizations Urge President Biden to take Further Clemency Action
- National Labor Union Presidents Urge President Biden To Continue Taking Bold Clemency Action
- Conservative Criminal Justice Organizations Urge Biden to Use Clemency for Deserving Americans
- Congressional Black Caucus Calls on President Biden to Prioritize Clemency
- Clemency Primer: With the Stroke of a Pen: A Primer on Presidential Clemency
- Federal Prison Population Fact Sheet with the NAACP: The Federal Prison Population Is at an Inflection Point
- Clemency & Advancing Public Safety Brief: The Case for Clemency: Reducing Lengthy Federal Prison Sentences and Advancing Public Safety
