A Colorado man was among 39 people who were granted pardons by President Joe Biden on Thursday.
Johnnie Williams of Denver received the pardon for a conviction on an unspecified nonviolent offense.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer.”
In the years since his conviction Williams, 58, has worked as a criminal justice specialist and youth counselor, the White House said in a press release
“Mr. Williams has received many awards for his charitable work, including an award that honors individuals who work with young men of color,” the release said. “Community members describe Mr. Williams as honest, loyal, and compassionate.”
Alongside the 39 pardons, Biden on Thursday commuted the sentences of 1,499 people who were placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, making it the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history.
The clemency action follows Biden’s granting of a wide-ranging pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, for his conviction on gun and tax charges and any other offenses he may have committed over more than a decade. The president has faced growing calls from Democrats and advocates to exercise his clemency powers – especially on behalf of the 40 men on federal death row – before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month.
Biden said in his statement that he “will take more steps in the weeks ahead.” His presidency ends Jan. 20.
“My administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances,” he said.
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