President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he has pardoned three Americans, including a former Secret Service agent, for the first time, in addition to commuting the prison sentences of 75 people convicted of non-violent drug crimes.
"Today, I am pardoning three people who have demonstrated their commitment to rehabilitation and are striving every day to give back and contribute to their communities," Biden said in a statement.
"I am also commuting the sentences of 75 people who are serving long sentences for non-violent drug offenses, many of whom have been serving on home confinement during the COVID-pandemic—and many of whom would have received a lower sentence if they were charged with the same offense today, thanks to the bipartisan First Step Act."
86-year-old Abraham Bolden of Chicago, who was the first Black Secret Service agent to serve on a presidential detail during the Kennedy administration, was arrested in 1964 and accused of "attempting to sell a copy of a Secret Service file," according to NBC News.
Bolden was eventually convicted after two trials, despite fighting for his innocence and two witnesses admitting to lying after the prosecutors convinced them to, according to a White House fact sheet. He was forced to serve six years in federal prison, and has since been a positive light in the community.
He has "received numerous honors and awards for his ongoing work to speak out against the racism he faced in the Secret Service in the 1960s, and his courage in challenging injustice," the White House said.
One of the other three pardons went to 51-year-old Betty Jo Bogans, who attempted to transport drugs for her boyfriend at the time and was convicted in 1998 for "possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in Texas," according to the Associated Press. She was a single mother with no prior crimes and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Bogans has since raised a son and maintained employment, even through a battle with cancer.
The third presidential pardon was given to 52-year-old Dexter Jackson of Athens, Georgia. In 2002, Jackson plead guilty and was convicted after he allowed marijuana dealers to use his pool hall for business. After his release from prison, Jackson changed his pool hall to a cellphone repair business with the goal of hiring local high schoolers in need of job experience.
In comparison to prior administrations, Biden will have a lot of ground to make up if he plans to pardon more people than Former President Donald Trump or Former President Barak Obama did. Trump issued 143 pardons, including 116 during his last month in office, and commuted just 94 people. While Obama issued 212 pardons and commuted 1,715 sentences over two terms.
"America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation," Biden said. "Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect these core values that enable safer and stronger communities."
"While today's announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equity and justice, provide second chances, and enhance the wellbeing and safety of all Americans," Biden added.
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