President Joe Biden used executive action on Wednesday to pardon or shorten the sentence of 16 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
“America is a Nation founded on the promise of second chances,” President Biden said in a statement. “During Second Chance Month, we reaffirm our commitment to rehabilitation and reentry for people returning to their communities post-incarceration.”
He added that those who received a pardon “demonstrated their commitment to improving their lives and positively transforming their communities,” while those whose sentences were commuted “have shown that they are deserving of forgiveness and the chance at building a brighter future for themselves beyond prison walls.”
According to a statement from the White House, the 16 individuals include eight men and eight women from 10 states and the District of Columbia.
The president granted 11 of the convicted offenders a full pardon and commuted the sentences of the remaining five.
The White House states that every pardoned individual already completed his or her sentence, as well as the terms of his or her supervised release or probationary sentence, and they have all been steadily employed and contributors to their communities.
Recipients
Those pardoned include Katrina Polk, 54, from the District of Columbia, who pleaded guilty to her nonviolent drug offenses when she was 18 years old but, after her release, earned a doctorate in public policy and administration and is regarded as “a respected advocate for the elderly.”Also included is Jason Hernandez, 47, from McKinney, Texas. He was convicted of several nonviolent offenses “for conduct that began while he was still a juvenile.” Mr. Hernandez’s sentence was commuted by former President Barack Obama in 2013, and the White House stated that he “accepted responsibility and demonstrated exemplary rehabilitation while incarcerated” and was granted early termination of his supervised release in 2021 “in recognition of his ‘exceptional’ post-release conduct.” He operates a nonprofit that “provides good quality and affordable food” out of the store in front of which he used to sell drugs.
As for the six convicted individuals who received commuted sentences, their time has been significantly shortened by President Biden—including one person who was spared a life sentence.
Jophaney Hyppolite of Miami was sentenced to life imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release in January 2013 for “conspiracy to manufacture and to possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams cocaine base; distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base.” President Biden shortened the sentence to 30 years, leaving the original 10-year supervised release intact.
Meanwhile, Margaret Ann Vandyke in Ellenville, New York, was sentenced to 60 months in prison with three years of supervised release in January 2022 for “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance,” specifically crack cocaine. President Biden ordered her sentence to expire on Aug. 22, 2024, with the three-year supervised release sentence still intact.
“Like my other clemency actions, these pardons and commutations reflect my overarching commitment to addressing racial disparities and improving public safety,” President Biden said in the White House statement.
“While today’s announcement marks important and continued progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms in a manner that advances equal justice, supports rehabilitation and reentry, and provides meaningful second chances.”
