By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will host reality-television star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian at the White House on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reform, after President Joe Biden granted clemency to more people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
On Wednesday, Biden granted clemency to 16 people, pardoning 11 of them and commuting the sentences of the other five. Four of the pardon recipients will join Thursday’s event, said a White House official, who did not wish to be named.
Harris is focused on convincing people of color and young voters to give Biden and her a second, four-year term at a time many voters are dissatisfied with their handling of the economy, persistent inflation and the war in Gaza.
The United States jails more people than any other country. Some 1 in 5 of those 1.9 million people are behind bars for a drug-related offense. Black and Latino people are disproportionately incarcerated, and drug law reform has the broadest support among young voters. Black, Latino and young voters tend to favor Democrats.
During the meeting, Harris will announce the finalization of a Small Business Administration rule that will remove most restrictions on loan eligibility based on a person’s criminal record, said the White House official. Kardashian first became a vocal activist for criminal justice reform during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Since taking office, Biden has commuted the sentences of 122 individuals and granted pardons to 20 individuals who committed non-violent drug offenses, the White House said. In December, Biden granted categorical pardons to thousands convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana in Washington, D.C., and on federal lands.
Last month, Harris convened a roundtable with people pardoned for marijuana offenses with rapper Fat Joe.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Deepa Babington)
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