12-20-2016-ERNIE ALLEN’S-TOP STORY-

President Barack Obama granted clemency to 231 individuals Monday, according to The White House.

With POTUS continuing his mission to provide second chances before leaving office in January, he pardoned 78 and commuted 153 people. The dozens of individuals joined a list of hundreds, who will now have the opportunity to live outside of jail and prison walls.

The President also recognized why this latest group of individuals deserved leniency. From the White House:

Today’s acts of clemency — and the mercy the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients — exemplify his belief that America is a nation of second chances.

While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them. For the pardon recipient, it is the story of an individual who has led a productive and law-abiding post-conviction life, including by contributing to the community in a meaningful way.

For the commutation recipient, it is the story of an individual who has made the most of his or her time in prison, by participating in educational courses, vocational training, and drug treatment. These are the stories that demonstrate the successes that can be achieved — by both individuals and society — in a nation of second chances.

Monday’s 153 commutations brings the total of commuted sentences to 1,176 individuals for Obama, including 395 life sentences. And with the 78 new pardons, the President has now issued 148 pardons.

Clarissa Hamlin