On Wednesday, December 11, Chairman Steven Horsford led the Congressional Black Caucus in a letter to President Biden urging him to prioritize the use of his clemency power in the final months of his presidency to address persistent racial disparities in the federal prison system; to provide a meaningful second chances to families, and safely reduce the federal prison population.
“Currently, there are over 158,000 people serving federal prison sentences, making the federal system the largest in the country. Thousands of people—many of them mothers, uncles, sisters, sons, and grandparents—are serving prison terms that would be much shorter if they were sentenced today. Many have already spent decades in prison and are nearing or past the age of retirement. Black communities, in particular, are disproportionately impacted by federal incarceration: Despite Black people making up only 14% of the population, they make up nearly 40% of the federal prison population,” wrote CBC Chairman Steven Horsford.
Chairman Horsford continued, “You have a meaningful opportunity to prioritize the commutation of sentences for individuals serving disproportionately long prison terms, particularly those who would receive significantly shorter sentences or have access to early release if they were sentenced under current law and practice. These include the thousands of people whose sentences would be shorter if certain changes in the First Step Act were applied retroactively or the crack-powder cocaine sentencing disparity was eliminated, as well as people who have spent decades in prison but are ineligible to apply for compassionate release based solely on when they were sentenced.”
“In addition to the clear evidence that we can reduce our federal prison population without compromising public safety, it is increasingly apparent that an overwhelming majority of likely voters across the political spectrum believe it is important to reduce the jail and prison population in the United States. With the stroke of a pen, you can harness this support, reunite families, and give people a meaningful opportunity to contribute to their communities. For many of these Americans who were slighted by our criminal justice system, this will be their only opportunity to return home and rebuild their lives. As your term ends, I sincerely hope you will use your clemency power to advance racial justice and demonstrate the power of second chances.”
Read full letter here.