Prez Biden commutes 31 federal sentences and releases “Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan”
As reported in this new Washington Post piece, “President Biden commuted the sentences of 31 nonviolent drug offenders Friday as the White House rolled out a broad initiative that aims to bolster the “redemption and rehabilitation” of people previously incarcerated through greater access to housing, jobs, food and other assistance.” Here is more:
The actions came during what Biden has proclaimed as Second Chance Month, an attempt to put a greater focus on helping those with criminal records rebuild their lives.
The 31 commutations were for people convicted of nonviolent drug crimes, who were currently serving time in home confinement and taking advantage of education and employment opportunities, the White House said. Many would have received a lower sentence if they were charged with the same offense today due to changes in the law, including the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in December 2018.
At a briefing for reporters, Susan Rice, director of the Domestic Policy Council, described the series of measures as prudent steps to improve public safety while safeguarding taxpayer dollars by increasing the chances that people released from prison will have opportunities to live rehabilitated lives.
“As many as one in three Americans have a criminal history record, yet far too many of them face barriers to getting a job or home, obtaining health care or finding the capital to start a business,” Rice said. “By investing in crime prevention and a fairer criminal justice system, we can tackle the root causes of crime, improve individual and community outcomes and ease the burden on police.”
The effort includes more than 100 actions across 20 agencies, ranging from the Department of Education to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Bureau of Prisons. Under the changes, people leaving prison could have more access to housing vouchers, Pell grants, food benefits and small business loans, Rice said.
These official docuements from the The White House provide a lot more of the particulars:
The full 77-page White House Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan
Both the timing and the subsatnces of these actions seem quite intriguing, though I am going to review the details and reflect a bit before providing any distinctive take. I will thus be content now to just say kudos to Prez Biden, because even modest actions in this arena are always meaningful and important.