President Joe Biden granted a historic number of Americans clemency and pardons Thursday, including a North Texas woman.
Lashundra Tenneal Wilson of Arlington, 49, pleaded guilty to a non-violent offense when she was a teenager, according to a release from the White House.
The presidential pardon is given to people who have completed their sentence as an expression of forgiveness, according to the Department of Justice. Being pardoned can help restore a person's civil rights such as voting, however the offense is not removed from the person's criminal record.
Thousands of people request clemency through an application process each year, the department states. Biden granted 1,499 commutations to people seeking a shorter prison sentence, according to the White House's release.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
Since her conviction, Wilson pursued an education and now works in the healthcare field, the White House said. She also volunteers at community health fairs and raises funds for nonprofit health organizations, according to the release.
Community members praised Wilson for her work ethic, trustworthiness and dependability, the White House said.
Biden had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. Two other Texans were pardoned, a 46-year-old man from San Antonio and a 57-year-old woman from La Porte, the White House announced.
