War on Drugs opponents applaud Biden for pardons or commutations of nonviolent offenders
On Tuesday morning, April 26, President Joe Biden announced that he would be granting pardons or commutations to 78 people in the United States. In contrast to former President Donald Trump — who granted pardons to many of his political cronies — Biden focused heavily on nonviolent drug offenders.
President Biden plans to issue his first batch of presidential pardons while commuting the prison sentences of 75 nonviolent drug offenders.https://nbcnews.to/3rTOhqF— NBC News (@NBC News) 1650968528
It\u2019s time we treat addiction like any other disease. And at the same time, we are disrupting drug traffickers\u2019 financial networks, supply chains, and delivery routes, including on the internet.https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2022/04/21/president-biden-releases-national-drug-control-strategy-to-save-lives-expand-treatment-and-disrupt-trafficking/\u00a0\u2026— President Biden (@President Biden) 1650890722
The three pardons are going to Abraham Bolden, Sr., Betty Jo Bogans and Dexter Jackson. While Bogans and Jackson were convicted of federal drug charges, the 86-year-old Bolden is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who was accused of trying to sell a Secret Service file back in 1964. Bolden maintained his innocence, and his first trial ended in a hung jury.
The other 75 were commutations, with a heavy emphasis on drugs cases.
Some Twitter users, in response to the pardons and commutations, lambasted the War on Drugs as a failure:
The War On Drugs Is A Failurepic.twitter.com/8vhMjGFZ4Y— John Stofko (@John Stofko) 1650982797
No More War On People— John Stofko (@John Stofko) 1650982728
Yippee! Restoring norms of good governance one day at a time!— Sarah Phillips \ud83c\udf3b (@Sarah Phillips \ud83c\udf3b) 1650994113
That's a wonderful thing.Why should they be in prison for somethinng that is now legal.— Cathy Kelly (@Cathy Kelly) 1650993609
I have no problem with this. Now remove marijuana & psilocybins from the schedule 1 list @JoeBiden— Joecephus (@Joecephus) 1650984380
Some Twitter users pointed out that per capita, the U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world:
75 is nothing compares to the 2M+ prisoners. US incarcerates more people than any other country in \nthe world, represents 25% of all inmates in the world even though US population makes up only 5% of the global population.pic.twitter.com/BjYRtPa8AN— Dihorse37 (@Dihorse37) 1650968682
Good. But so many other people ought not to be in prison also. E.g. Other prisoners who committed non-violent crimes and esPECIALLly those people who are completely innocent of the crimes they have been convicted of!! @innocence— Tracy-Lee Neville (@Tracy-Lee Neville) 1650983282
Here are some more reactions to the 78 pardons or commutations:
I'd just like the point out the Trumpers are bitching about this and saying "Do the crime, do the time", and yet had no problem with Trump pardoning his own cronies who'd been arrested for crimes they committed without serving hardly any time.\n\nHypocrisy, thy name is Trumper.— WingedKitsune (@WingedKitsune) 1650992327
Having a fairer judicial and prison system every day, would be better than hoping some guy might take pity on you...— Thatoneguy (@Thatoneguy) 1650992781
Biden\u2019s pardons and commutations compares at same point in presidency: \n\nBiden 3 pardons/75 commutations \nTrump 3 / 1 \nObama 0 / 0\nGWBush 0 / 0— Mark Knoller (@Mark Knoller) 1650970849
