In a historic move, President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he is commuting the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, converting their punishment to life imprisonment without parole. The decision comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, a vocal advocate for expanding capital punishment, assumes office.
The commutations exclude three inmates convicted of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murders: Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers, responsible for the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.
“I condemn these murderers, grieve for their victims, and ache for all families who have suffered irreparable loss,” Biden said in a statement. “But guided by my conscience, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”
A Stand Against Capital Punishment
This decision aligns with the moratorium on federal executions that Biden’s administration imposed in 2021 to review the justice system’s protocols. While Biden previously campaigned on eliminating the federal death penalty entirely, his statement emphasizes halting its use in most cases except for terrorism and hate-driven mass killings.
Biden also took a pointed jab at Trump’s capital punishment stance, stating, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
Reactions and Advocacy
Advocacy groups have long pressured Biden to reduce federal executions, citing the death penalty’s racial disparities and systemic injustices. Martin Luther King III praised Biden for “acknowledging the death penalty’s racist roots and taking meaningful action to remedy its persistent unfairness.”
Donnie Oliverio, a retired police officer whose partner was killed by one of the commuted inmates, expressed support for the decision. “The execution of the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace,” Oliverio said. “The president has done what is right.”
A Controversial Legacy
Trump’s administration oversaw 13 federal executions, more than any president in modern history, resuming federal capital punishment after a 17-year hiatus. Trump has since pledged to expand the use of the death penalty, including for drug dealers and human traffickers.
Biden’s move follows his recent clemency actions, including commuting the sentences of over 1,500 individuals on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speculation about his federal death penalty stance grew after the White House announced plans for Biden to meet Pope Francis, a staunch opponent of the death penalty, next month in Italy.
As Biden nears the end of his presidency, this decision reflects his enduring commitment to justice reform and his resistance to Trump’s capital punishment expansion agenda.