67 Members of Congress Urge President Biden to Expand Marijuana Clemency Efforts Before End of Term

Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) sent a letter today along with 64 of their colleagues urging President Biden to “reunite families, confront deep-seated injustices in the legal system, and guide the nation toward ending mass incarceration”, during his final weeks in office.

“Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America”, states the letter. “Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities.” The letter continues: “The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminishes trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.”

The letter goes on to say “While the most marginalized Americans feel the worst impacts, the entire country pays the cost of mass incarceration. In strictly fiscal terms, researchers estimate the total annual cost to taxpayers is $182 billion, which is more than double the Department of Education’s entire budget. Our country is spending exorbitant amounts of money to keep people in prison for prolonged periods of time, including those who do not pose a significant public safety threat. In our growing federal prison population, 90% of people are convicted of non-violent offenses. The reliance on incarceration in our legal system has created a crisis that must be addressed.”

With that in mind, the letter says “Now is the time to use your clemency authority to address unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences imposed by judges”.

The coalition of lawmakers said they applaud the president’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system throughout your time in the White House.

“Your previous use of clemency power, including pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former service members, demonstrates your understanding of its life-changing impact”, they say. “That is why we write in support of furthering those efforts and ask you to take decisive action to remove people from prison and reunite them with their loved ones and communities. We encourage you to use your clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers.”

The letter concludes: “You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance. These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”