President Biden facilitated the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. 

President Biden, in the largest single-day act of clemency, is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed under home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic. He is also pardoning 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”

President Barack Obama facilitated the second-largest single-day act of clemency in 2017 at the end of his presidency. He issued only 330. 

The commutations announced on Thursday will be for people who have served home confinement sentences for at least one year following their release from prison. 

Some inmates were released from prison during the pandemic to slow the spread of COVID-19. According to the Associated Press, 1 in 5 prisoners contracted the virus at one point during the pandemic. 

The people pardoned on Thursday range from 36 to 75 years old. They had been convicted of nonviolent crimes including drug offenses, fraud, or theft. Those pardoned include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters, a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor, a military veteran, and a doctoral student. 

Louisiana resident Trynitha Fulton, 46, was one of those that was pardoned. She pleaded guilty to participating in a payroll fraud scheme while serving as a New Orleans middle school teacher in the early 2000s, and was sentenced to three years of probation in 2008.

“The pardon gives me a sense of freedom,” Ms. Fulton said in a written statement. “The conviction has served as a mental barrier for me, limiting my ability to live a full life.”

President Biden said he will continue to review clemency petitions in the final few weeks of his presidency.