Presidential clemency: A look at Joe Biden's latest pardons

President Joe Biden pardoned 39 individuals and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 more on Thursday morning, in what the White House has lauded as the biggest single-day clemency order in modern U.S. history.

The order comes 11 days after the president pardoned his son Hunter Biden and erased his felony tax and gun convictions. He has also been considering preemptive pardons for members of his current administration that could be targeted by President-elect Donald Trump's administration.

"America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances," the president 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."

Joe Biden said the 39 people who were fully pardoned were punished for non-violent offenses and have demonstrated rehabilitation and a commitment to protecting and serving their communities.

Here is a look at some of those people:

Nina Simona Allen was pardoned for her conspiracy conviction, for which she was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. The White House said Allen, who is now 49, was convicted when she was in her 20s and has since earned a bachelor's degree and two master's. She now works in education and volunteers at a soup kitchen and nursing home.

"Ms. Allen is described by people who know her as a dependable, hardworking woman of integrity," the White House said.

Duran Arthur Brown, a Navy veteran, was pardoned of "conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a mortgage fraud scheme," for which he was sentenced to five years of probation in 2012. However, his probation was terminated early and he has since maintained a consistent employment in education, according to the White House.

Norman O'Neal Brown of Washington, D.C., was pardoned of three drug convictions that he was given more than three decades ago. Brown was sentenced to three years in prison on one charge, life in prison for a second, and two years in prison on the third. Now 56, Brown volunteers at several national and community-based organizations that help incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated people. 

Brown's life sentence was previously commuted by former President Barack Obama in 2015, after he spent 20 years in prison.

"If Mr. Brown had been sentenced under current law and today’s sentencing practices, he likely would have received a shorter sentence," the White House said. "Family members and colleagues describe Mr. Brown as a man of grace and integrity and an exceptional human being."

Brandon Sergio Castroflay, an Army veteran from Virginia, was pardoned after pleading guilty to drug-related offenses during his time in the Army, when he was 21. Castroflay continued his service in the Army after his sentence and then worked as a civilian for both the Army and Air Force. He now volunteers for several charitable organizations that support Gold Star families and wounded service members.

Paul John Garcia is a Navy veteran who was sentenced to six years' confinement, four years suspended, according to the Justice Department, for signing with the intent to deceive, stealing government property, selling government property, and false documents. Garcia is now 72 and has maintained steady employment in the medical field, and engages in community service.

Other crimes people received pardons for include bank fraud, bank embezzlement, making false statements in a passport application, larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny, and mail fraud. Numerous drug offenses were also pardoned. 

Joe Biden said that the people who had their sentences commuted were all sentenced to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since  "successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance." 

He did not provide details on the crimes or sentences of the people whose sentences were commuted, but the White House provided a list of their names and case numbers.

The president indicated on Thursday that he may be pardoning more people before he leaves office next month, and that his office was still reviewing clemency petitions.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.