This Tuesday (26), at the White House, US President Joe Biden will reduce the sentence of 75 people who were convicted of non-violent drug offenses, and fully pardon the sentence of three people, which the government American claims to have worked for rehabilitation.
In addition, new actions will be announced with a focus on facilitating the transition back to normal life for those who have been arrested.
These measures take place in the context of the “Month of Second Chance”. Since 2018, the US government annually recognizes the month of April as the “month of the second chance”. The initiative emerged from a campaign led by a group of different entities with the aim of providing opportunities for people with a criminal record.
“America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption and rehabilitation. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, religious leaders, civil rights advocates and security force leaders all agree that our criminal justice system can and must reflect those core values that enable safer and stronger communities,” Biden wrote in a statement. shared with CNN on Monday.
“During Second Chance Month, I am using my authority under the Constitution to uphold these values by pardoning and reducing the sentences of fellow Americans,” he continued.
Pardons and Mitigations
Among those Biden will pardon is Abraham W. Bolden Sr., an 86-year-old former Secret Service agent and the first African American to serve in a presidential detachment, according to a White House newsletter.
Bolden was convicted on charges related to trying to sell a copy of a Secret Service file, although witnesses for the prosecution later admitted to lying at the request of prosecutors.
According to the newsletter, Bolden claims he “has been sued in retaliation for exposing unprofessional and racist behavior within the US Secret Service.”
Biden will also pardon Betty Jo Bogans, 51, of Houston and Dexter Eugene Jackson, 52, of Athens, Georgia, for nonviolent drug offences, and reduce the sentences of 75 offenders in nonviolent drug cases — a move that a high administration official told reporters it “reflects the president’s broader commitment to reforming our justice system and addressing racial disparities.”
“The president believes that there are many people serving unduly long sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, among which there are a disproportionate number of blacks and browns,” the official said on Monday.
“The president is also committed to using his power of clemency to provide mitigations to individuals who are serving lengthy sentences they could no longer receive today because of changes in the law, including the First Step Act, which reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain non-violent crimes and drug crimes”.
Then-President Donald Trump was the first US president to recognize Second Chance Month in 2018, following a bipartisan congressional resolution.
A proclamation by Trump stated that during the month of April, the United States would emphasize the need to “provide opportunities for people with a criminal record to gain an honest second chance.”
The First Step Act, which marked a rare bipartisan achievement by Trump, allowed for the early release of nonviolent offenders, eased mandatory minimum sentencing and offered judges flexibility in sentencing.
New initiatives for rehabilitation
In conjunction with the announcement, the Biden administration will also present “a comprehensive strategy that expands opportunities to go from incarceration to employment,” including new programs from the Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Small Business Administration, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Education and Department of Commerce.
In an effort to facilitate reentry efforts for ex-prisoners, the Departments of Justice and Labor will allocate $145 million in funding over the next two years “to provide job-skills training and individualized employment and reentry plans for people incarcerated at the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and provide pathways for a seamless transition to employment and support for re-entry upon release,” according to a White House fact sheet.
In addition, the government will distribute $140 million in grants for training and re-entry programs and will mandate agencies to remove barriers to entry for ex-inmates to receive federal funding, apply for jobs and participate in programs. of training.
Tuesday’s measures will not override efforts to craft an executive order aimed at criminal justice reviews, a second official told reporters on Monday, which is still ongoing.
Bipartisan efforts to pass a comprehensive policing reform collapsed last September over a series of disagreements.
“While today’s announcement marks important progress, my administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equity and justice, provide second chances, and improve the well-being and security of all Americans,” Biden said in a statement. communicated.
Source: CNN Brasil
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