Joe Biden Announces Decision To Commute 37 Death Sentences

President Joe Biden has decided to commute 37 federal death sentences, sparking controversy and debate on capital punishment.

At a Glance

Biden commuted 37 of 40 federal death sentences to life imprisonment without parole.
Three inmates convicted of hate or terrorism crimes will still face execution.
The decision aligns with Biden’s opposition to the federal death penalty.
The move comes weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, who supports capital punishment, takes office.
The decision has been praised by human rights groups and criticized by the Trump campaign.

Biden’s Historic Decision on Federal Death Row

In a significant move, President Joe Biden has commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 people on federal death row to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This decision, announced just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office, aligns with Biden’s longstanding opposition to the federal death penalty and follows a moratorium on most federal executions instituted by his administration.

The commutations exclude three inmates convicted of hate or terrorism crimes: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Dylann Roof, and Robert Bowers. Biden emphasized that these commutations are consistent with his administration’s moratorium on federal executions, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.

I am commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole.

This action is consistent with my Administration's moratorium on federal executions, except for cases involving terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. pic.twitter.com/Obxfytxxbb

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 23, 2024

Reactions and Implications

The decision has drawn both praise and criticism. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union, have lauded Biden’s action as a significant step towards ending the death penalty in the United States. However, the Trump campaign has strongly criticized the move, with communications director Steven Cheung calling it “a slap in the face to the victims, their families, and their loved ones.”

“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden said.

The controversy is heightened by the timing of the decision, coming just before Trump, who oversaw 13 federal executions during his first term, is set to take office. Trump has expressed intentions to resume executions and possibly expand capital punishment, setting the stage for a stark contrast in approaches to the death penalty between the outgoing and incoming administrations.

Current State of Capital Punishment in the US

The death penalty remains a divisive issue in the United States. Currently, 23 states have abolished capital punishment, with six others having moratoriums in place. In 2024, there were 25 state-level executions carried out. Biden’s decision reflects a growing trend towards reconsideration of the death penalty at both state and federal levels.

“The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and President Biden’s eleventh-hour decision before leaving office to commute these death sentences is a big moment for human rights,” Amnesty International USA Executive Director Paul O’Brien said.

While Biden’s action has been celebrated as a historic step by many, it has also reignited debates about justice, punishment, and the role of executive clemency. The decision’s irreversible nature, guaranteed by the broad powers of presidential commutation, ensures that it will have lasting effects regardless of future administrations’ stances on capital punishment.