President Obama Grants Clemency 231 Individuals

President Barack Obama made history Monday as he granted clemency to 231 individuals in what is said to be the most ever in a single day, CNN reports.

The president granted 153 commutations and pardoned another 78. The ambitious review of drug-related sentences will continue until his final day, administration officials said.

“The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance,” White House counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a blog post Monday.

“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.”