Among those released from a Washington prison on Tuesday was Rachel Powell of Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to more than four years in prison after smashing a Capitol window with an ice pick.
Speaking outside the prison, she told the BBC she would be home before her son’s birthday and praised Trump for keeping his promise. “He is more of a blessing to me than I could have imagined,” she said.
Some observers, including political scientists and lawyers representing the rioters, were surprised by the scope of the presidential order.
“The general consensus was that we would see a differentiation between those who committed violent acts and those who did not commit violent acts,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive nonprofit group that opposed the pardons.
“Donald Trump ran for office to protect law and order, so it’s shocking and upsetting to see him move to pardon violent criminals,” she said.
Fourteen people convicted of some of the most serious crimes have had their sentences commuted – meaning their crimes will remain on the record but they will still be released from prison.
The Justice Department said in its latest update that approximately 1,583 people had been arrested or convicted of riot-related crimes.
More than 600 have been charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing police, including about 175 accused of using a weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
Most of the convicts served their sentences, or did not receive a term at all, but about 250 of those who are still in prison began to be released.
And it appears any further investigation — the FBI was still looking for at least 13 suspects and fugitives — will be dropped.
