Almost everyone who calls us starts with the same sentence: "I want a pardon." Sometimes they actually do. Just as often, what they need is a commutation of sentence. The two are both forms of federal executive clemency — but they solve very different problems.
The short version
- A pardon is forgiveness after a sentence has been fully served. It restores civil rights and signals official forgiveness of the offense. It does not erase the conviction.
- A commutation reduces or ends a sentence that is still being served. It does not forgive the offense and does not restore civil rights on its own.
Federal pardons in more detail
A federal pardon is available only for federal convictions and only after a waiting period — generally at least five years after the completion of the sentence, including supervised release. The Office of the Pardon Attorney reviews the petition, gathers input from the sentencing judge and prosecuting office, and forwards a recommendation to the President.
Pardons matter most for people who have rebuilt their lives and want the collateral consequences of a federal conviction lifted — occupational licensing barriers, firearms restrictions in some states, immigration consequences, and the ability to say honestly that they were pardoned by the President of the United States.
Commutations in more detail
A commutation is the right ask when the person is still incarcerated (or still serving a long supervised-release term) and the sentence they received is either disproportionate to the offense today, or has become disproportionate because of the person they've become since. Commutations do not require a waiting period after the sentence is complete — because the whole point is that the sentence is not complete.
Most commutation petitions succeed or fail based on the story: what the person has done with their time inside, what their release plan looks like, and how the family, community, and reentry support are prepared to receive them.
Which one applies to your family?
Answer these three questions honestly:
- Has the sentence — including supervised release — been fully completed?
- Has it been at least five years since it ended?
- Is the person you love still serving time today?
If the answer to (1) and (2) is yes, a pardon is generally the right instrument. If the answer to (3) is yes, you are almost certainly looking at a commutation petition.
Where MyMercyPath fits
Whichever petition you file, both require the same underlying preparation work: a coherent personal statement, a well-organized case history, thoughtful character support letters, and a clean, professionally formatted package. That's exactly what we prepare for a flat $2,500 fee — no matter which side of the clemency line your family is on.