President Joe Biden Thursday commuted the sentences of 15 people convicted of federal crimes in Ohio. They were among nearly 1,500 people nationwide whose sentences were commuted by Biden.
All the people receiving commutations were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities,” according to the White House. Biden also pardoned 39 people, including four Ohioans, in what was the largest single-day act of clemency by a president in modern history.
The people who received commutations are:
Biden also pardoned four Ohioans on Thursday: Duran Brown, 44, of Cleveland; Kim Haman, 75, of Lima; Jamal King, 53, of North Ridgeville, and James Russell Stidd, 79, of Groveport.
A pardon “is an expression of forgiveness and can help eliminate some of the consequences of a conviction,” according to the Department of Justice. A commutation reduces a sentence imposed by a federal court, but does not erase the record of a conviction.
Columbus Dispatch reporter Bethany Bruner contributed to this report.
This story was updated to add a video.
