President Joe Biden announced on Monday the commutation of sentences for 37 federal death row inmates, converting their punishments to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The decision, made just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, marks a significant step in Biden’s ongoing efforts to limit the use of capital punishment at the federal level.
The commutations reduce the number of federal inmates facing execution to just three. These include Dylann Roof, convicted in the 2015 massacre at a Charleston church that claimed nine Black lives; Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the 2013 attack; and Robert Bowers, who carried out the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
“This action reflects my commitment to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair justice system,” Biden stated. “While I grieve for the victims of these despicable acts, I remain convinced that the federal death penalty is incompatible with our values.”
A Legacy of Reform and Opposition to the Death Penalty
Biden’s decision to commute these sentences builds on the moratorium his administration imposed in 2021 on federal executions. This suspension of capital punishment was introduced to study the protocols surrounding executions and to assess their fairness. The commutations align with Biden’s 2020 campaign promise to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, though his policy leaves exceptions for cases involving terrorism and hate-fueled mass killings.
While Biden’s 2020 campaign advocated for abolishing the death penalty entirely, his recent actions stop short of fulfilling that pledge in its entirety. Critics and advocates alike have noted this compromise, as the president cited his conscience and legal experience as guiding principles for his decision.
Trump’s Push for Capital Punishment
In stark contrast to Biden, President-elect Donald Trump has consistently advocated for expanding the death penalty. During his first term, Trump reinstated federal executions after a 17-year hiatus, overseeing 13 executions — the most carried out by a president in modern history. Trump has also repeatedly called for harsher punishments, including capital sentences for drug dealers and traffickers, a stance he reaffirmed in his recent 2024 campaign launch.
Biden’s announcement directly counters Trump’s plans to ramp up federal executions, with the outgoing president stating, “I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
A Divided Public Response
The commutations have drawn mixed reactions from victims’ families, advocates, and the public. Advocacy groups have long pressured Biden to take decisive action to curb federal executions, highlighting the death penalty’s disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. Martin Luther King III commended Biden, stating that the president’s actions acknowledge and address the systemic racism inherent in capital punishment.
Others, including families of victims, have expressed varying views. Donnie Oliverio, a retired police officer whose partner was killed by one of the commuted inmates, expressed support for Biden’s decision, saying it aligned with his personal faith and sense of justice.
