Global Breaking News - Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Are Presidential Pardons Fair?

A recent series by ProPublica, published in The Washington Post, has highlighted a racial gap in presidential pardons. Some critics consider the selection process too subjective and opaque. Is the presidential pardon system fair? How should presidents decide whom to pardon?

* A Broken System, and Too Few Pardons
The central goal for any true leader should be creating a more just society. But executives of all stripes forgo any serious approach to commutations.
 
* A Small Approach, When the Problems Are Big
Presidents should move beyond the rare commutation and address the deep systemic problems in our criminal justice system.
 
* Presidents Have Strayed From Framers’ Vision
Franklin D. Roosevelt and others routinely granted hundreds of pardons. Today, demand for clemency is up, but the supply is way, way down.
 
* The High-Profile Cases Are Rightly Notorious
When lobbied directly, the president is apt to decide on the basis of whoever has the most money and political influence.