Brett Tolman: The Biden family's nepotism and secrecy must end. But generosity is good policy.

President Joe Biden's record-breaking one-day commutation of the sentences of 1,500 Americans on home confinement is an unashamedly transparent political salve for the hurt caused by his crony blanket pardon for his son Hunter. Despite this, it is a good policy. Adding insult to injury, many are questioning whether several extravagant presidential pardons passed under the radar last month could preemptively cover up further Biden family corruption. . Instead of systematically politicizing our nation's pardon system, Biden and Congress must do more to make things right.

Republicans and Democrats alike have warned that commuting sentences for individuals on home confinement under the CARES Act is justified. It is one of the most successful criminal justice initiatives in the country, with a recidivism rate of 3.7%, a fraction of the national average. To combat the spread of the coronavirus, Congress passed the CARES Act of 2020, releasing 13,204 federal prison (BOP) inmates from home confinement based on standards established by former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. . There were also no disciplinary violations.

These people are held accountable for their crimes, change their behavior and comply with the law, and the vast majority succeed outside of the killing environment. They have proven that they have a positive impact on public safety by working, paying taxes, and contributing to their families and communities. The CARES Act's sentence reduction for home confinement should have happened sooner, but it's still a good move.

Biden commutes prison sentences of 1,500 people, pardons 39 others: 'largest single-day pardon'

People, events, and laws may change to warrant a review to determine whether remaining incarceration is necessary for public safety. In a recent letter to Biden, many conservative and faith-based groups called on him to return to broad, principled clemency efforts.

We cannot forget the thousands of deserving Americans who are already serving disproportionately long sentences in federal prisons, in many cases longer than they would be sentenced today.

A pardon is not an act of clemency. Sentencing laws must be applied consistently to all Americans, and pardons should never be shrouded in secrecy or offered as favors to families or financially connected individuals. Biden's apparent abuse of presidential pardon power overshadows President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 6 pardon, even as he has already served disproportionately long sentences, often in federal prison. We cannot forget the thousands of deserving Americans who are serving sentences longer than they deserve. today.

The Biden administration has a responsibility not to stop until all clemency applications are thoroughly reviewed. Rarely are people completely pardoned or their sentences commuted, but if we can reduce incarceration without compromising public safety, don't all Americans deserve a chance to forget their worst mistakes? ?

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That's not all. Despite popular belief, the scarlet letter of a federal criminal conviction does not disappear with a presidential pardon or commutation. Under current laws, they will have a criminal record for the rest of their lives and, depending on where they live, will face difficulty securing jobs, housing, and even the ability to run a small business.

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Consider the life of Weldon Angelos, whose sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama and pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020. Although he is now a successful music producer and pardon advocate, Angelos' federal criminal history continues to hinder his efforts. He served 13 years in prison for selling marijuana to an undercover police officer while armed at age 23, and was sentenced to 55 years in prison, even though he never used or brandished the weapon.

A pardon by the President of the United States forgives but never forgets, and there is no legal remedy. That is why the House Judiciary Committee should consider the Weldon Angelos Presidential Pardon Expungement Act, which is a post-presidential pardon expungement procedure.

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This process would not look kindly on someone like Hunter Biden because no records would be automatically erased. Instead, the legislation would establish a process by which both pardonees and the federal government could consider whether removal is appropriate.

Too many American cities and communities are grappling with violent crime, prisons are crumbling, and law enforcement is stretched thin across the country. Biden and Congress have an opportunity to advance a principled pardon policy that aims for consistent sentencing and upholds American values ​​of mercy and redress.

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