President Biden took a significant step against capital punishment by commuting the sentences of 37 out of 40 men on federal death row to life without parole. This move was in line with the 2021 moratorium on federal executions imposed by his administration. Three men involved in cases of terrorism or hate-fueled mass murder were not granted commutations. In a statement, Biden expressed his condemnation of the murderers while emphasizing the need to stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.
Biden cited his experience as a public defender and an elected official as motivation for his decision and hinted at potential action by the incoming Trump administration. Advocates and religious leaders had been urging Biden to take this step with his pardon power, and Pope Francis also weighed in on the issue.
Among those whose sentences were commuted were individuals convicted for crimes such as hiring a hitman, multiple murders during a bank robbery, and involvement in a bank robbery while maintaining innocence. Biden has previously expressed opposition to the death penalty but had not taken significant action until now.
Advocates praised Biden’s actions, calling it an important turning point in ending America’s use of the death penalty. Biden’s commutations for those on death row surpass those of his Democratic predecessors, Obama and Clinton. This decision comes after Biden previously pardoned individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes and commuted the sentences of others placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic. The announcement also follows controversy over Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, for gun and tax charges.
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