US President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, replacing their death penalties with life imprisonment without parole. However, three inmates remain on death row, including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber; Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting; and Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black churchgoers in Charleston in 2015.
In his statement, Biden reaffirmed his opposition to the death penalty, saying, “We must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.” His clemency, however, does not affect the over 2,000 individuals sentenced to death by state courts.
Among those spared are individuals convicted of heinous crimes, including murders during bank robberies, killings of fellow prisoners, and a former New Orleans police officer involved in drug operations and murder. Biden expressed empathy for victims’ families, emphasizing his condemnation of the inmates’ actions.
The decision comes ahead of the January inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who, during his first term, resumed federal executions after a 17-year hiatus. Trump executed 13 inmates in six months and has hinted at expanding capital punishment if re-elected.
The clemency is irreversible under US law, ensuring the next administration cannot reinstate the death penalty for these individuals. However, Biden’s action does not impact state-level death penalty cases, where over 2,250 inmates remain on death row, and 70 executions have occurred during his presidency.
Earlier in December, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people convicted of nonviolent crimes and pardoned 39 others, including his son, Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing on tax and firearms charges.
The death penalty remains a divisive issue in the US, with 23 states having abolished it and six others maintaining moratoriums. Biden’s decision underscores his administration’s stance on criminal justice reform and human rights.
