US President Biden commutes 37 federal death row sentences to life imprisonment

President Joe Biden announced Monday that he has commuted the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row, reducing their sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This decision leaves only three federal prisoners still facing the prospect of execution when President-elect Donald Trump assumes office next month.

The commutations, which affect nearly all those currently on federal death row, come as part of Biden’s ongoing stance against the federal death penalty. In a statement, Biden expressed his firm opposition to capital punishment, citing his long-standing experience as a public defender and his belief that the death penalty is unjust, particularly given its racially disproportionate impact. “Guided by my conscience and my experience, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level,” Biden said.

The commuted sentences include those convicted of crimes ranging from murders linked to drug trafficking to the killings of prison guards and other inmates. However, the commutations exclude three high-profile cases involving individuals convicted of mass shootings and terrorism. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013; Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; and Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, will remain on death row.

Biden’s decision follows his administration’s broader moratorium on federal executions, which was imposed in 2021, and aligns with his campaign promise to abolish the federal death penalty. Since taking office, Biden has called for reforms to the justice system, focusing on issues of racial justice and due process. The commutation move also comes amid increasing calls from civil rights organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), for the end of capital punishment at the federal level.

The announcement has sparked strong reactions. The Trump transition team condemned the commutations, calling them an “abhorrent decision” that benefits some of the “worst killers in the world.” In contrast, Biden’s allies, including Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), praised the move as a step toward addressing systemic issues in the justice system.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump has indicated support for reinstating federal executions and expanding the use of the death penalty to include crimes such as human trafficking and the killing of law enforcement officers. While Biden’s commutations are irreversible, Trump could attempt to reinstate executions should he return to the White House.