Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman Applauds Historic Biden Administration Commutations Following Years of Advocacy
Today, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) celebrated the announcement from the Biden Administration that the President has issued commutations for 1,500 individuals serving home confinement sentences for non-violent infractions.
“For years, Rep. Cori Bush and I have been pushing for the Biden Administration to commute the sentences of folks on home confinement from the CARES Act,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “These people pose no threat to society, have reunited with their families, and make meaningful contributions to their communities. It is a significant act of humanitarianism from the Biden Administration, and I am so pleased they have done the right thing for these people, and their families.”
Rep. Watson Coleman has been an outspoken leader in advocating for individuals on home confinement from the CARES Act. She led dozens of her House colleagues in a 2021 letter calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to reverse a Trump-era directive that would have forced many of these individuals, who have since reunited with their families and become productive members of society, back to federal prison. After the Department of Justice heeded her request and reversed the Trump-era directive, Rep. Watson Coleman and fellow House Democrat Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) led their colleagues in following up to ensure the Bureau of Prisons followed the Justice Department’s new order.