President Joe Biden issued three pardons on April 26 and announced commutations for 75 people convicted of nonviolent federal drug offenses.
In a written statement, Biden said he was using his clemency powers during “Second Chance Month” to pardon “three people who have demonstrated their commitment to rehabilitation and are striving every day to give back and contribute to their communities.”
I am also commuting the sentences of 75 people who are serving long sentences for non-violent drug offenses, many of whom have been serving on home confinement during the COVID-pandemic—and many of whom would have received a lower sentence if they were charged with the same offense today, thanks to the bipartisan First Step Act.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley was among the architects of the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill that President Donald Trump signed in December 2018. Advocating for the bill was one of Grassley’s last initiatives as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2015 through 2018.
A White House statement listed all of the recipients of pardons and commutations, with some details about their crimes and sentences. The Iowans who will have their sentences commuted to expire on April 26, 2023 are Douglas Dean Johnson of Dickens (Clay County), Edwin G. Tierney of Council Bluffs, and Andrea Zavala of Waterloo. Tierney and Zavala had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, while Johnson had been convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute that substance, as well as other crimes related to selling controlled substances.
The Biden administration also rolled out several initiatives on April 26 that are aimed at expanding opportunities for employment after incarceration. Those include “a first-of-its-kind collaboration” between the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Labor to invest $145 million into “job skills training and individualized employment and reentry plans” for people in federal prisons.
Other programs will provide $85 million toward “education and training, paid work experience, mentorship, and leadership development to justice-involved youth and young adults,” and $55 million for “job training, pre-apprenticeship programs, digital literacy training, and pre-release and post-release career counseling for justice-involved adults.”
The Small Business Administration is changing its rules to make it easier for people with criminal records to access business capital, and other agencies are expanding access to federal jobs or positions with federal contractors for those who have been incarcerated.
More incarcerated students will become eligible for Pell Grants to cover post-secondary education costs. The complete list of Biden administration policies related to Second Chance Month is available here.
Appendix 1: Excerpts from White House news release of April 26 listing all recipients of Biden’s first pardons and commutations
Douglas Dean Johnson – Dickens, Iowa
Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and possess and distribute pseudoephedrine following a felony drug conviction; travel in interstate commerce and aid and abet travel in interstate commerce with the intent to promote and facilitate a business enterprise involving the manufacture and distribution of controlled substances (Northern District of Iowa).
Sentence: 240 months of imprisonment, 10-year term of supervised release (December 8, 2008).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release.
Edwin G. Tierney – Council Bluffs, Iowa
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (District of Nebraska).
Sentence: 120 months of imprisonment, five-year term of supervised release (November 8, 2016).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the five-year term of supervised release.
Andrea Zavala – Waterloo, Iowa
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 5 grams of actual methamphetamine (Northern District of Iowa).
Sentence: 108 months of imprisonment, five-year term of supervised release (June 7, 2017).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, leaving intact and in effect the five-year term of supervised release.
Appendix 2: White House news release of April 26
Statement by President Joe Biden on Clemency and Second Chance Month
America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect these core values that enable safer and stronger communities. During Second Chance Month, I am using my authority under the Constitution to uphold those values by pardoning and commuting the sentences of fellow Americans.
Today, I am pardoning three people who have demonstrated their commitment to rehabilitation and are striving every day to give back and contribute to their communities. I am also commuting the sentences of 75 people who are serving long sentences for non-violent drug offenses, many of whom have been serving on home confinement during the COVID-pandemic—and many of whom would have received a lower sentence if they were charged with the same offense today, thanks to the bipartisan First Step Act.
My Administration is also announcing new steps today to support those re-entering society after incarceration. These actions include: a new collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor to provide job training; new grants for workforce development programs; greater opportunities to serve in federal government; expanded access to capital for people with convictions trying to start a small business; improved reentry services for veterans; and more support for health care, housing, and educational opportunities.
As I laid out in my comprehensive strategy to reduce gun crime, helping those who served their time return to their families and become contributing members of their communities is one of the most effective ways to reduce recidivism and decrease crime.
While today’s announcement marks important progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equity and justice, provide second chances, and enhance the wellbeing and safety of all Americans.
Top image: President Joe Biden signs a bill in the Oval Office on March 10, 2022. Official White House photo by Adam Schultz available via Flickr.