Biden grants clemency to 16 nonviolent drug offenders [Video]

Washington — President Biden on Wednesday granted clemency to 16 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, pardoning 11 of them and commuting the sentences of the other five. 

The pardon recipients include a woman who has since earned her doctorate, a business owner and community members involved in their churches, while one of the commutation recipients will no longer have to serve a life prison sentence. 

In December, the president granted categorical pardons to thousands convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana in Washington, D.C., and on federal lands. 

Clemency is the overarching term that encompasses both pardons — the forgiveness of legal consequences stemming from a conviction — and commutations, which reduce prison sentences or eliminate other penalties. 

“America is a nation founded on the promise of second chances,” the president said in a written statement. “During Second Chance Month, we reaffirm our commitment to rehabilitation and reentry for people returning to their communities post incarceration. …