On Monday (Dec. 23), Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, converting their punishments to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This decision arrived just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, a known advocate for expanding capital punishment, is set to take office. It also followed the mass pardon of over 1,500 people, including the president’s son, Hunter Biden.
According to The Associated Press, the commutations affect individuals convicted of severe crimes, including the killings of law enforcement officers, murders on federal land, and deadly bank robberies or drug-related homicides. Only three inmates remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof, responsible for the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber; and Robert Bowers, who perpetrated the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, PA.
“I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden stated regarding his decision. “These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”
The outgoing head of state continued, “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. But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president, and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
AP noted that, while on a January 2025 trip to Italy, Biden will pay a visit to Pope Francis, who called for mercy for death row inmates. The publication also included a positive reaction from Martin Luther King III, who expressed that the president did “what is necessary to ensure justice and mercy prevail in our country.”