Joe Biden Pardons 6 People, Including 80-Year-Old Woman Convicted of Killing Her Abusive Husband

Before the year ends, President Joe Biden has pardoned six people, including an 80-year-old woman from Ohio convicted of murder for killing her abusive husband.

The president announced the pardons Friday while he and his family were spending time at St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The pardons mean the criminal records of these six people charged with murder and drug- and alcohol-related crimes are now purged.

A few months ago, Biden also pardoned thousands of people convicted of "simple possession" of marijuana under federal law, the Associated Press reported.

The president also pardoned three individuals earlier this year and has reduced the sentences of 75 others.

Biden's stance on low-level crimes has evolved throughout his half-century in public service. He went from a tough-on-crime politician who supported legislation that increased the rate of imprisonment for drug-related crimes.

This particularly affected Black and Latino people, as more of them were arrested under the laws that Biden supported.

Joe Biden Pardons 80-Year-Old Woman Who Helped Psychologists Understand 'Battered Woman Syndrome'

According to ABC News, those who were pardoned were Beverly Ann Ibn-Tamas of Columbus, Ohio; Gary Davis of Yuma, Arizona; Edward Lincoln De Coito III of Dublin, California; Vincente Ray Flores of Winters, California; Charlie Byrnes Jackson of Swansea, South Carolina; and John Dix Nock III of St. Augustine, Florida.

The White House said the six were chosen because they have "demonstrated a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of those around them."

Ibn-Tamas, now 80 years old, murdered her abusive husband, who beat her, verbally abused her, and threatened her. She killed him when she was 33.

According to Al Jazeera, Ibn-Tamas' case helped build an understanding of "battered woman syndrome," a psychological pattern similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is often associated with those who survived domestic abuse.

"Battered woman syndrome" is often used to explain why some survivors have used violence to protect themselves from their abusers.

However, this often happens in situations that do not meet the legal threshold for self-defense, resulting in many of these abused women landing in prison.

Ibn-Tamas shot and killed her abusive husband, neurosurgeon Abdur Ramad Yussef Ibn-Tamas, on February 23, 1976. She was pregnant then, and she did it after the doctor threatened to throw her out of the house.

Ibn-Tamas maintained that she constantly feared for her life while suffering from both physical and verbal abuse from him.

She said the abuse included getting dragged upstairs and being beaten with a hairbrush or gun. She shot him with this same gun after she had had enough.

Joe Biden's New Pardons Show Shifting Attitudes

According to the White House, the other five people pardoned served sentences for drug or alcohol-related crimes while they were relatively young.

Gary Davis, now 66, pleaded guilty to using a telephone for an unlawful cocaine transaction in the 1970s when he was 22. One of the people pardoned has served in the military while one remains on active duty.

According to The Hill, a White House official said the pardons reflect Joe Biden's view that people deserve a second chance.

"President Biden believes America is a nation of second chances, and that offering meaningful opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation empowers those who have been incarcerated to become productive, law-abiding members of society," the White House official noted.

The pardon also showed that the Biden administration seemed to have prioritized low-level drug arrests when deciding on its clemency.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Joe Biden Grants Pardons For Six Individuals - From MSNBC