Guides and news on federal clemency
Start with the guides if you're trying to decide what to do. The news posts cover past clemency decisions; they're kept for history, so check the date before relying on them.
- September 3, 2026: 23 Pardons and 6 Commutations Announced
The Pardon Attorney lists 29 clemency grants dated September 3, 2026, covering drug, firearms registration, Clean Air Act, fraud, and counterfeiting cases.
- Justice Department Opens Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Process
A final rule published August 20, 2026 and effective September 21, 2026 sets criteria for restoring federal firearm rights under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c).
- January 17, 2025: Commutations Granted to 2,490 People
The Office of the Pardon Attorney lists a January 17, 2025 commutation grant covering 2,490 people. The recipient list shows mostly drug convictions.
Clemency news archive ·
President Biden’s Clemency Plans (2021 Report)In 2021, news outlets reported that President Biden was preparing a clemency push focused on racial inequality. Here is what was reported and what happened.
Clemency news archive ·
Clemency Push Continues (May 2021)In May 2021, the New York Times reported that the Biden administration was preparing a clemency push.
Clemency news archive ·
President Biden and Clemency: A 2021 Look AheadA May 2021 look ahead at President Biden's use of clemency, with an update on the final numbers.
Clemency news archive ·
Biden and the Power of Commutation (May 2021)In May 2021, President Biden faced pressure to start commuting federal sentences. Here is what was reported then, and what happened.
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Pardon vs. Commutation: Which One Fits Your Situation?A commutation shortens a sentence you are still serving. A pardon forgives the crime, usually years after the sentence ends.
Clemency news archive ·
Who Did Donald Trump Pardon in His First Term?President Trump's first-term clemency grants, from Joe Arpaio in 2017 onward, with Justice Department totals.
Clemency news archive ·
Will a Second Step Act Follow the First Step Act?After the First Step Act passed in 2018, advocates asked what a second step would look like.
Clemency news archive ·
It’s Time to Fix the Federal Clemency ProcessWhen Congress lowers sentences but doesn't make the change retroactive, clemency is one of the few ways to help people already in prison.
Clemency news archive ·
Reformers to Trump: Take Clemency Out of DOJ’s Hands (2019)In February 2019, a group of reform advocates asked President Trump to move clemency review out of the Justice Department.
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The Presidential Pardon Power: What It Can Do and Its LimitsThe President can pardon a federal crime or shorten a federal sentence. Here is where that power comes from and what limits it.
Clemency news archive ·
The Manafort Pardon Debate and the Limits of the Pardon PowerIn 2019, the possibility of a pardon for Paul Manafort sparked debate. It shows a key limit: a presidential pardon covers federal crimes only.
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Presidential Pardon Limits: What a Pardon Can and Can’t DoThe pardon power is broad, but it has limits. It covers federal crimes only, can't stop an impeachment, and doesn't erase a conviction.
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Pardon Definition: What a Presidential Pardon MeansA pardon is official forgiveness for a federal crime. Here is how the Supreme Court has defined it, and whether a President can pardon himself.
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Presidential Clemency: How the President’s Mercy Power WorksPresidential clemency is the President's power to show mercy in federal cases. Here is how it works and where it came from.
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Executive Clemency: The President’s Power to Forgive and Shorten SentencesExecutive clemency is the President's power to forgive federal crimes and lighten federal sentences.
Clemency news archive ·
The Pardon of Richard Nixon: What It Teaches About the Pardon PowerOn September 8, 1974, President Ford granted Richard Nixon a full pardon. Here is why, and what it shows about the pardon power.
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Presidential Clemency Authority: Pardons, Reprieves and How to AskWhere the President's clemency power comes from, how pardons, commutations, and reprieves differ, and how the process works.
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