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Jason Hernandez sold bags of weed at a Texas supermarket. He was subsequently given a life sentence without parole. Now he has been pardoned by President Joe Biden after demonstrating “exemplary rehabilitation” after turning that store that was once the hub of his drug operations “into a market that provides quality, affordable food.”
He is one of 16 “deserving individuals” who received clemency on Wednesday after the White House released the list. They represent a fraction of the more than 1 million Americans in prison, in an election year when parties are clashing over shoplifting and violent crime, as well as over crime trends and how Americans perceive them.
Biden pardoned 11 people and commuted the sentences of five others. Biden is using his authority “to advance equal justice under the law,” the White House said, with the list focusing on people who have either served prison time or received long sentences under decades-old crime laws that Biden passed as a senator help shape.
Brief statements about the people pardoned, including Bobby Darrell Lowery of Jackson, Mississippi. He was convicted of a non-violent drug offense at the age of 25, but since serving his sentence “he has maintained a steady job and actively volunteers at his church and various community organizations.”
Another churchgoer who received a reprieve was Pilar Alejandra Yelicie-Rodriguez of Fairfax, Virginia. The 48-year-old woman pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense, completed her sentence and prison sentence, and has now “maintained steady employment, devoted her time to her family and volunteered at her church.” People call her reliable and a “devoted mother,” the White House said.
Hernandez, who turned his drug angle into a story, first had his sentence commuted by President Barack Obama. The US has 5 percent of the world’s population, but accounts for one-fifth of the global total. The White House has developed a policy to reduce “unnecessary” incarcerations. At the same time, he has faced pressure from Democrats in Congress to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 controlled substances such as heroin and LSD.
“Many of these individuals received disproportionately longer sentences than they would receive under current law, policy and practice,” Biden said in a statement. Jophaney Hyppolite of Miami, Florida received a life sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base.
According to court documents, he was part of a crack distribution organization. His sentence was commuted to 360 months. “The pardon recipients have demonstrated their commitment to improving their lives and positively transforming their communities. The commutation recipients have shown that they deserve forgiveness and the opportunity to build a better future for themselves outside the prison walls.
“Like my other clemency actions, this pardon and commutation reflect my overarching commitment to addressing racial disparities and improving public safety. While today’s announcement marks important and continued progress, my administration will continue to review clemency requests and implement reforms in a manner that promotes equal justice, supports rehabilitation and reentry, and provides meaningful second chances.”