In a significant move during his final weeks in office, President Joe Biden announced the commutation of sentences for 37 federal death row inmates, converting their punishment to life imprisonment without parole. The decision, which spares nearly all individuals on federal death row, aligns with Biden’s longstanding opposition to the death penalty and his administration’s moratorium on executions.
Biden’s Reasons for the Commutations
Biden framed the action as both a moral imperative and a practical safeguard against President-elect Donald Trump’s ability to restart federal executions. During Trump’s first term, 13 federal inmates were executed, marking the highest number in decades.
“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden said in a statement Monday. “But guided by my conscience and my experience…I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”
The president emphasized his decision was also influenced by concerns about Trump’s vocal support for capital punishment and his potential to resume executions swiftly.
Exemptions and Criticism
The clemency does not extend to three inmates convicted of terrorism or hate-motivated mass murder:
- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber.
- Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue.
- Dylann Roof, responsible for killing nine parishioners at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church.
Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, criticized Biden’s sweeping action as unwarranted leniency for some of the nation’s most heinous criminals. Advocacy groups, however, have praised the move, viewing it as a step toward abolishing the federal death penalty.
Clemency in Context
This decision follows a broader wave of clemency actions by Biden, including pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, and commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes. While these actions have drawn criticism, they underscore Biden’s commitment to criminal justice reform and second chances.
Biden’s clemency excludes individuals on state death rows, where over 2,200 people face capital punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The president also stopped short of eliminating the federal death penalty entirely, despite campaign promises to do so.
What’s Next?
The White House signaled that additional clemency actions are under consideration. A review of federal capital punishment practices, initiated during Biden’s term, is nearing completion, and further steps to reshape the federal approach to criminal justice may be announced before Biden leaves office.
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