Pressley, Colleagues Have Urged Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration, Reunite Families

November Letter | Press Conference Footage

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued a statement on President Biden’s use of his pardon authority and renewed her calls for him to use his clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path to ending mass incarceration.

Last month, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Reps. James E. Clyburn (SC-06) and Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) sent a letter to President Biden and held a press conference in which they urged the President to take action before leaving office. In December 2021, Rep. Pressley introduced the FIX Clemency Act, a historic bill to transform the broken clemency system and address the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“Today, I’m thinking of the hundreds of thousands of people who pose no threat to society and whose lives are deteriorating due to America’s mass incarceration crisis and unjust criminal legal system.

“President Biden used his pardon authority last night in response to what he saw as an injustice of the legal system. In the remaining days of his presidency, I have called on President Biden to use his clemency power to change the lives of families across this nation—families who are disproportionately Black and brown, with loved ones behind the wall, suffering from injustices of the legal system. Specifically, I implore the President to consider pardons for those in federal custody with unjustified sentencing disparities, the elderly and chronically ill, people on death row, women punished for crimes of their abusers, and many, many more.

“This issue is deeply personal to me. As the daughter of a formerly incarcerated parent who has gone on to make great contributions to society, I know firsthand how life-changing the President’s action would be and how much hope it would give to millions who call America home.

“Today, with 49 days remaining in his presidency, President Biden has an opportunity to cement his legacy as one of the most compassionate and impactful Presidents of our time. For the families harmed by mass incarceration, he must act.”

More information on the Congresswoman’s letter to President Biden is available here.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a steadfast champion for a more just and equitable criminal legal system and has introduced legislation to fix our nation’s broken clemency system.

On June 19, 2023, Juneteenth, Rep. Pressley re-introduced the People’s Justice Guarantee, a comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system.

In December 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Cori Bush (MO-01) and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and grassroots advocates, unveiled the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation to transform our nation’s broken clemency system and address the growing mass incarceration crisis. 

In October 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding President Biden’s executive action pardoning thousands of people for simple possession of marijuana.

In May 2022, Rep. Pressley. Along with Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, David Joyce, and Kelly Armstrong urged Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer to release disaggregated demographic data on the more than 17,000 pending clemency applications to better understand the current broken clemency process and address its impacts on constituents and communities.

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