Biden grants clemency to nearly 2,500 individuals in his final days as president.

Nearly 2,500 inmates will have their sentences commuted by President Biden as his presidency comes to an end, he announced Friday morning.

Individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to what they would receive under today's law.

Biden's clemency action brings relief to individuals who received long sentences due to flawed distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes, according to a statement.

The president acknowledged that it is necessary to "address these disparities in sentencing" as identified by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 and the First Step Act of 2018.

He continued, stating that this action is a crucial step towards rectifying historical injustices, addressing sentencing disparities, and allowing deserving individuals to reunite with their families and communities after serving an excessive amount of time in prison.

Biden's decision on clemency has put him ahead of all other presidents in terms of the number of cases granted.

"I have surpassed all other U.S. presidents in the number of individual pardons and commutations issued with this action," Biden stated.

Biden has faced criticism from both parties for the individuals he has chosen to grant clemency to.

In December, he opted to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 men on federal death row, sparing them from execution and condemning them to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Additionally, he faced criticism for granting his son, Hunter, a pardon for any crimes he may have committed against U.S. law between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. Last year, Hunter was found guilty of gun and tax offenses in two separate federal cases.

On Dec. 12, Biden granted clemency to 1,500 people and pardoned 39 others, most of whom were already serving time in home confinement due to COVID-19-related decisions.

The president stated that he is proud of his record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons before leaving office on Jan. 19.

According to Jan. 13 statistics from the Department of Justice, 1,947 people are awaiting pardon after completing their sentence and 6,625 cases are awaiting commutation following Friday's decision.