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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set the nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.
The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here, and photos are available here.
“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences handed down by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The granting of pardons and commutations, as well as the restoration of rights, will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”
Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color, individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with disabilities are disproportionately incarcerated. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.
In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system, including pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers. They urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broader groups of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, individuals with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also highlighted the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.
“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”
Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Popular Democracy, Last Prisoner Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Death Penalty Action, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition, Second Chance Justice of MCAN, JustLeadershipUSA, FAMM, The Episcopal Church, The Bambi Fund, Free Billie Allen Campaign, People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom, Prophetic Resistance Boston, and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.