and pardon on a case-by-case basis the working-class Americans in the federal prison system whose lives have been ruined by unjustly aggressive prosecutions for nonviolent offenses
It’s a noble idea in principle. But how the hell can a sizeable number of innocent or excessively punished people be pardoned on a case by case basis in the span of under 7 weeks?
This is an extremely impractical idea to implement, and reeks of empty grandstanding in by Jeffries.
The letter noted that the US has disproportionately incarcerated people of color, low-income individuals, members of the LGBTQ+ community and those with disabilities, and that 90% of the federal prison population was convicted on non-violent offenses.
What are you talking about? If the rich and the powerful get justice why not the rest of us too? Since when has justice been too broad?
That’s kind of exactly my point. 90% is still a lot of people and I doubt the database of federal inmates has an “unjustly prosecuted” filter. But there are some non-violent white collar criminals who absolutely belong in prison (including about half of Trump’s advisors) so there needs to be something to focus on like marijuana possession or whistleblowers or something else that can narrow the scope.
Despite these actions, the Last Prisoner Project (LPP) notes in a statement that Biden “has yet to release a single person still incarcerated for cannabis through commutation.” Although the pardons granted relief to thousands of people with a conviction on their records, the president’s clemency actions did not address the approximately 3,000 individuals serving time in federal prisons for cannabis related offenses.
Right. He timidly only pardoned the ones who were already out. Because incrementalism is about doing as little as you think you can get away with and demanding everyone act like you solved the whole problem.
Cannabis is still schedule I and these people are still in prison.
Yes. And I’m saying that a “case-by-case” analysis of “nonviolent offenses” is impossible in two months and if he wants anything to happen he needs to narrow the scope because non violent is not the same as victimless. The drug offenses you mentioned seem like a fine place to start.
Just pardon them all to bankrupt the prison system and realize that while you let a few awful people go free most of the people you pardoned and those around them will have markedly better lives.
The wild thing is that at this point it’s hard to argue that special interest lobbies are holding him back. He’s got virtually nothing to lose and yet he does nothing aside from making the self-interested play.
he can gather a team of lawyers to go through the files and compile a list. lawyers have evolved past the need for sleep, so they have an extra 8 hours a day to go through files. should be doable in 7 weeks.
It’s a noble idea in principle. But how the hell can a sizeable number of innocent or excessively punished people be pardoned on a case by case basis in the span of under 7 weeks?
This is an extremely impractical idea to implement, and reeks of empty grandstanding in by Jeffries.
It’s also entirely too broad to mean much of anything.
What are you talking about? If the rich and the powerful get justice why not the rest of us too? Since when has justice been too broad?
That’s kind of exactly my point. 90% is still a lot of people and I doubt the database of federal inmates has an “unjustly prosecuted” filter. But there are some non-violent white collar criminals who absolutely belong in prison (including about half of Trump’s advisors) so there needs to be something to focus on like marijuana possession or whistleblowers or something else that can narrow the scope.
Here you go.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajherrington/2024/11/26/nonprofit-group-calls-on-biden-to-pardon-cannabis-prisoners/
So all the “he pardoned weed offenses” was just as much of a lie as “he rescheduled cannabis.”
No, it just means he didn’t pardon all weed offenses.
Right. He timidly only pardoned the ones who were already out. Because incrementalism is about doing as little as you think you can get away with and demanding everyone act like you solved the whole problem.
Cannabis is still schedule I and these people are still in prison.
cough of already released people cough
That sounds like a great place to start; it also wasn’t mentioned in the headline, summary, or original article.
The article was about what Hakeem Jeffries thinks Biden should do.
Yes. And I’m saying that a “case-by-case” analysis of “nonviolent offenses” is impossible in two months and if he wants anything to happen he needs to narrow the scope because non violent is not the same as victimless. The drug offenses you mentioned seem like a fine place to start.
It’s not impossible, but it would be interesting to know why you think that.
He could start today and get through at least 35. I’m betting we’ll see less than that though.
Anything would be better than nothing. People are saying democrats should challenge norms. I agree. Get these pardons moving.
Just pardon them all to bankrupt the prison system and realize that while you let a few awful people go free most of the people you pardoned and those around them will have markedly better lives.
The wild thing is that at this point it’s hard to argue that special interest lobbies are holding him back. He’s got virtually nothing to lose and yet he does nothing aside from making the self-interested play.
“Sorry for the shitty system we’re kind of responsible for. Go see Moana 2!”
It’s the bare minimum. We are supposed to have justice for all in this country. Not just justice for Hunter Biden.
How about Biden starts now and focuses on getting as many done as possible. What’s this angle of pretending it’s too difficult?
he can gather a team of lawyers to go through the files and compile a list. lawyers have evolved past the need for sleep, so they have an extra 8 hours a day to go through files. should be doable in 7 weeks.
Or he could gather double the amount of lawyers and they could all sleep at night. Either way.
Bidens lawyers have been sleeping for 4 years. They can do some work for once in their lives.