President Joe Biden made a major announcement on Monday, changing the sentences of 37 people on federal death row to life imprisonment. This decision comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, a strong supporter of capital punishment, takes office. Biden’s move spares the lives of individuals convicted of serious crimes, including the killings of police officers, federal workers, and others involved in violent acts like bank robberies and drug deals.
Out of the 40 people who were on federal death row, only three are still facing execution. These individuals include Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black church members at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, marking the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
Biden explained his decision by saying, “I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system. Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole.” He also pointed out that these commutations align with the pause on federal executions his administration introduced, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass killings.
Back in 2021, Biden’s administration announced a halt to federal executions to review the system’s fairness and procedures. While Biden had previously pledged to end federal executions entirely, his recent action stops short of that, allowing exceptions for certain heinous crimes. He also took a swipe at Trump, stating, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
Trump, who will take office on January 20, has made his stance on the death penalty clear. He has often spoken about expanding its use, even advocating for the execution of drug dealers and human traffickers. During his first term, Trump oversaw 13 federal executions—more than any president in modern times—and pushed some through during his final months in office. These were the first federal executions since 2003, with three carried out after the 2020 election, an act not seen since President Grover Cleveland in 1889.
Advocacy groups had been urging Biden to act quickly, fearing Trump might intensify the use of capital punishment. Biden’s decision also comes shortly after his clemency for about 1,500 individuals released on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes—marking one of the largest acts of clemency in U.S. history.
This announcement follows another high-profile decision by Biden: pardoning his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges. That pardon sparked debate in Washington, raising questions about whether Biden might issue more pardons for his allies before leaving office.
Biden’s actions come ahead of a planned visit to Italy next month, where he will meet with Pope Francis. The Pope recently called for prayers for U.S. death row inmates, hoping their sentences might be reduced. Biden, a practicing Catholic, seems to have been influenced by these appeals.
Martin Luther King III praised Biden’s decision, stating that the president has taken a historic step to address the death penalty’s unfairness and racist roots.
Meanwhile, some who were personally affected by these cases supported Biden’s choice. Donnie Oliverio, a retired police officer from Ohio whose partner was killed by one of the inmates whose death sentence was commuted, expressed his agreement. “The person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace,” he said. “The president has done what is right here and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.”
