The White House released a pardon list of 39 people that said the individuals had committed either either a “non-violent offense” or a “non-violent drug offense”. It did not name the specific crimes they were convicted of committing.

Several of those pardoned were individuals who had been released from prison. Many were veterans or they had become community leaders or advocates.

The White House described one pardon recipient as a 49-year-old Virginia resident who was convicted of a drug offence at age 21. After serving his sentence, he went on to earn a university degree, have a successful career in the US Army and Air Force and volunteer for charitable organisations that support veterans.

The 1,499 commuted sentences includes individuals who were placed in home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as those whose sentences Biden deemed to be too long due to outdated laws.