A Harvest woman is among the 39 individuals pardoned by President Joe Biden Thursday.
Nina Simona Allen, 49, was convicted of a non-violent offense in her 20s.
“In the years since, Ms. Allen returned to school to earn a post-baccalaureate degree and two master’s degrees. She now works in the field of education. Ms. Allen strengthens her community by volunteering at a local soup kitchen and at a nursing home. Ms. Allen is described by people who know her as a dependable, hardworking woman of integrity,” said a note in the clemency list released by the White House on Thursday.
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The White House did not describe the nature of the crime Allen was convicted of. Attempts to contact Allen on Thursday were not successful.
Allen’s pardon is part of Biden’s larger push to extend clemency to individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation and a commitment to their communities, according to a statement from Biden. The program also reflects an effort to address disparities in sentencing for non-violent offenses.
“Today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer,” Biden said in a statement.
The president also commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals, many of whom had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The clemencies granted represent the most ever in a single day by a U.S. president, according to the White House.
Allen’s pardon came after the president gave a sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, on any other offenses from 2014 until December, including the gun and tax charges Republicans targeted.
Advocates and Democrats have also urged Biden to use his clemency authority on the 40 men on federal death row before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January. During the final six months of his first term, Trump fast-tracked 13 federal death row executions.
DC Bureau reporter Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.
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