President Joe Biden attended a White House reception to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr on May 1, 2023, and announced that he would be granting clemency to 11 people serving disproportionately long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. The clemency is intended to rectify racial disparities in the justice system, and will apply to those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana in Washington, D.C. and on federal lands and in the District of Columbia. President Biden's clemency is part of his broader effort to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
