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.

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:

Some Twitter users pointed out that per capita, the U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world:

Here are some more reactions to the 78 pardons or commutations: