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What is a clemency? -

Clemency refers to a president or governor's authority and power to show leniency towards individuals who have been convicted of crimes. The total number of clemencies granted by a president is calculated by adding together all instances of pardons, commutations, reprieves, and remissions they have issued during their tenure.

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Forms of leniancy - Leniancy can be in the form of a pardon where complete forgiveness nullifies the legal consequences of a conviction, or a commutation where a reduction of a convict's sentence to a less severe one occurs.

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More possibilities -

Additional possibilities include reprieve or a temporary delay in the enforcement of a sentence, which is often used in death penalty cases, or finally, remission or the cancellation of fines or other financial penalties associated with a conviction.

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Why is this important? -

This historical action shows the current administration's commitment to criminal justice reform and a belief in second chances.

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Impact -

President Biden emphasized the importance of extending opportunity and addressing sentencing disparities, namely for nonviolent drug offenders.

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Clemencies by president -

The following list will name and briefly describe the US presidents who had clemencies while in office. The list goes from the least clemencies to the most.

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20. George H.W. Bush - George H.W. Bush granted 77 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 41st President of the United States of America and was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts.

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19. George W. Bush - George W. Bush granted 200 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 43rd President of the United States of America and was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut.

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18. Donald J. Trump - Donald J. Trump granted 238 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 45th President of the United States of America and was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York City, New York.

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17. Gerald R. Ford - Gerald R. Ford granted 404 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 38th President of the United States of America and was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska.

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16. Ronald Reagan - Ronald Reagan granted 406 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 40th President of the United States of America and was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois.

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15. William Mckinley - William McKinley granted 420 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 25th President of the United States of America and was born on January 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio.

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14. William J. Clinton - William J. Clinton granted 457 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 42nd President of the United States of America and was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas.

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13. Jimmy Carter -

Jimmy Carter granted 563 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 39th President of the United States of America and was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia

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12. John F. Kennedy - John F. Kennedy granted 572 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 35th President of the United States of America and was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts.

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11. Warren Harding -

Warren Harding granted 734 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 29th President of the United States of America and was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio.

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10. Theodore Roosevelt - Theodore Roosevelt granted 1,040 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 26th President of the United States of America and was born on October 27, 1858, in New York City, New York.

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9. Herbert Hoover - Herbert Hoover granted 1,078 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 31st President of the United States of America and was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa.

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8. Dwight D. Eisenhower - Dwight D. Eisenhower granted 1,157 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 34th President of the United States of America and was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas.

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7. Lyndon B. Johnson - Lyndon B. Johnson granted 1,186 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 36th President of the United States of America and was born on August 27, 1908, in Stonewall, Texas.

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6. Calvin Coolidge - Calvin Coolidge granted 1,565 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 30th President of the United States of America and was born on July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Vermont.

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5. Joseph R. Biden - Joseph R. Biden granted 1,661 clemencies during his time in office and serves as the 46th President of the United States of America and was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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4. Barack H. Obama - Barack H. Obama granted 1,927 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 44th President of the United States of America and was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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3. Harry S. Truman - Harry S. Truman granted 2,031 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 33rd President of the United States of America and was born on May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri.

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2. Woodrow Wilson - Woodrow Wilson granted 2,679 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 28th President of the United States of America and was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia.

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1. Franklin D. Roosevelt -

Franklin D. Roosevelt granted 3,314 clemencies during his time in office. He served as the 32nd President of the United States of America and was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York.

Sources: (AP) (Office of the Pardon Attorney) (CNN) (NPR) (Britannica)

See also: US presidents who didn't serve a second term

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