In a move that has sparked controversy and debate, President Biden has decided to commute the sentences of nearly all the inmates on federal death row.
This decision, announced by the White House on Monday, comes less than two weeks after Biden granted the "largest single-day grant of clemency" in American history.
According to Fox News, out of the 40 inmates on federal death row, as reported by DeathPenaltyInfo.org, Biden is commuting the sentences of 37 men who were previously sentenced to death. Their sentences will now be reclassified to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The three inmates not included in this clemency are Robert Bowers, responsible for the 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue; Dylann Roof, a white supremacist who killed nine Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who, along with his now-deceased brother, orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
The men whose sentences have been commuted are convicted of various heinous crimes, ranging from single to multiple murders. Their victims include law enforcement officers, children, and fellow inmates. Some of the men were also slated to be executed alongside their co-defendants.
President Biden, who only supports the death penalty at the federal level for "terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder," stated that this decision would prevent the incoming Trump administration from "carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice." This statement was made in reference to the moratorium on federal executions that Biden declared after taking office in 2021.
Among the convicted murderers who will now escape execution are individuals guilty of crimes such as carjacking, kidnapping, and murder. The list also includes men who committed deadly bank robberies, drug-related murders, and murders of witnesses. One ex-Marine, Jorge Torrez, was set to be executed for killing another servicemember.
This move by President Biden has sparked mixed reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Critics argue that it outpaces any president in modern history when compared to length of service. Earlier this month, Biden faced backlash when he commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 prisoners placed in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and pardoned 40 others, including his son, Hunter.
Despite the criticism, some have praised Biden's decision. Former corrections officials, for instance, have lauded the move as "courageous," thanking the President for sending a "strong message." They argue that commuting the sentences on federal death row will enhance the safety of federal correctional professionals who participate in executions.
Justin Jones, the former Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, stated, "President Biden has made a courageous decision that will benefit many within the federal Bureau of Prisons. Resources can be allocated more rationally, and staff will not face the harm of participating in executions any time soon. I hope state leaders follow suit, for the benefit of their own correctional staff."
Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, echoed these sentiments, stating that this decision "marks an important turning point" and sends a "strong message to Americans that the death penalty is not the answer to our country's concerns about public safety."
While President Biden has condemned the murderers and their "despicable acts," he has also expressed his grief for the victims and families who have suffered "unimaginable and irreparable loss." He stated that he "cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted." The White House statement also indicated that Biden will use the last few weeks of his presidency to "provide meaningful second chances" and "review additional pardons and commutations."
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