President Joe Biden made a big announcement on Monday, commuting the sentences of 37 out of 40 people on federal death row. Instead of facing the death penalty, these individuals will now serve life sentences in prison. This move comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, who has strongly supported expanding the use of the death penalty.
The people whose sentences were commuted were convicted of serious crimes, including killing police officers, military personnel, or guards in federal prisons. It also includes those involved in violent crimes like deadly bank robberies and drug deals. However, three people remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof, the man responsible for the horrific 2015 shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bombers; and Robert Bowers, the gunman who killed 11 people at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018.
Biden explained his decision in a statement, 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 emphasized that these commutations are part of his administration’s moratorium on federal executions, which only allows executions in cases involving terrorism and hate-motivated mass murders.
Back in 2021, Biden’s administration put a hold on federal executions, aiming to study the processes involved. While Biden has pledged to end the federal death penalty entirely, he did not include that commitment in his re-election campaign. Nevertheless, he remains deeply opposed to the death penalty and said, “I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”
Biden also took a moment to call out his successor, Donald Trump, who has advocated for expanding executions. In his campaign speech, Trump suggested that drug dealers should face the death penalty, and he praised China for its strict punishments. During his first term, Trump oversaw 13 federal executions, the most in modern history, including some that took place during the final months of his presidency.
Biden’s decision to commute these sentences comes after pressure from advocacy groups and recent acts of clemency, including the release of over 1,500 people from prison during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also follows the pardon of his son, Hunter, which stirred up some controversy in Washington.
Biden’s announcement also comes just ahead of his final overseas trip as president, where he’ll meet with Pope Francis. The Pope has been vocal about his opposition to the death penalty, and his recent prayers for U.S. death row inmates may have influenced Biden’s decision.
Martin Luther King III, who has been advocating for the end of the death penalty, praised Biden for taking meaningful action. He said, “The president has done what no president before him was willing to do: take meaningful and lasting action not just to acknowledge the death penalty’s racist roots but also to remedy its persistent unfairness.”
One retired police officer, Donnie Oliverio, whose partner was killed by one of the men whose sentence was commuted, shared his thoughts too. He said that the execution of his partner’s killer wouldn’t have brought him peace, and he supported Biden’s decision, saying it was the right thing to do, consistent with their shared faith.
It’s clear that Biden’s decision is not just about criminal justice – it’s about values, fairness, and making a stand against a system that many believe is broken.
