United States President JOE BIDEN is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offences, three days before he leaves office.

BIDEN said the offenders were “serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice” and his action would right “historic wrongs“.

In an announcement, BIDEN said he had now issued more individual pardons and commutations “than any other president in US history“.

The news comes after the outgoing president commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 federal death row inmates and issued a wave of commutations and pardons in December, including for his son Hunter Biden.