Biden Commutes Sentences of 37 Federal Death Row Inmates

President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, replacing their death penalties with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This decision dramatically reduces the federal death row population to just three, marking a significant milestone in Biden’s stance against capital punishment.

What Is Sentence Commutation?

Sentence commutation involves reducing the severity of a sentence while maintaining the original conviction. For the 37 individuals, this means they will no longer face execution but will instead serve life terms in federal prison.

These commutations apply only to federal inmates and do not affect the approximately 2,200 individuals on death row in state prisons nationwide.

Who’s on Biden’s Commutes Sentences List?

The 37 individuals granted clemency include a mix of convictions, ranging from murders committed during bank robberies to prison killings:

The commutations spare these individuals from execution, ensuring they spend the remainder of their lives behind bars.

These commutations do not apply to three high-profile cases:

1. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber.
2. Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black churchgoers in South Carolina.
3. Robert Bowers, convicted of killing 11 worshippers in the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.

Biden emphasized that cases involving terrorism and hate-motivated mass killings remain excluded from his clemency policy.

An Ending to Federal Executions ?

This decision reflects Biden’s long-standing opposition to the death penalty. Early in his administration, he issued a moratorium on federal executions, reversing the policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who oversaw 13 executions in 2020 alone.

Mixed Reactions to the Decision

The commutations have sparked both praise and criticism:

• Advocacy groups and religious leaders, including Pope Francis, applauded the move as a step toward justice reform.
• Critics, however, voiced strong opposition. Senator Tom Cotton described it as “an affront to victims,” while a Trump spokesperson called it “a mockery of justice.”

Addressing Racial Disparities

Biden’s decision also sheds light on the racial inequities tied to capital punishment. Black Americans make up 38% of federal death row inmates despite being only 14% of the U.S. population. Advocates view the commutations as progress toward addressing systemic discrimination in the justice system.

Expanding Clemency Efforts

This action is part of Biden’s broader agenda for criminal justice reform. He previously pardoned thousands of individuals convicted of marijuana possession and granted clemency to hundreds serving long sentences for nonviolent offenses.

His administration has also tried to tackled other injustices, such as disparities in sentencing laws and discrimination against LGBTQ+ service members. To varying degree of success, as is DEI administration because of how non-institutional that DEI has been implemented.

The Death Penalty Debate

The U.S. remains divided on the death penalty. Twenty-three states have abolished it, while six others have halted its use through moratoriums. Biden’s actions highlight a growing trend away from capital punishment at the federal level, though the broader debate persists.

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