President Joe Biden made headlines on December 18, 2023, when he announced the commutation of sentences for 37 out of the 40 individuals currently on federal death row, converting their penalties to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This significant action was taken just weeks before Donald Trump, who has been vocal about his support for capital punishment, prepares to take office.
Among those spared were individuals convicted for heinous crimes, including the killings of police officers, military personnel, and victims of violent bank robberies and drug trafficking. Notably, only three inmates remain subject to execution: Dylann Roof, convicted for the racially motivated massacre of nine Black churchgoers at Emanuel AME Church; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, responsible for the deadly shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue.
“I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden stated. He reiterated his administration's commitment to halting federal executions, which have been under moratorium since Biden took office. He emphasized, “These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, except for terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”
This momentous act was not only politically charged but also deeply personal for many families affected by these crimes. Michael Graham, who lost his sister Cynthia Hurd to Roof's attacks, expressed disappointment about the broader impact of Biden's decision. He strongly believes Roof deserves the death penalty, calling the crime “a heinous act against people simply gathered for Bible study.”
On the other hand, some families found solace with Biden’s decision. Felicia Sanders, who protected her granddaughter during the shooting, celebrated the exclusion of Roof from commutation as “a wonderful Christmas gift.”
Biden's stance is rooted in his long-standing opposition to the death penalty. Initially pledging on his campaign trail to eliminate capital punishment, he faced the ideological reality of doing so only after months of advocacy and community pressures. The president commented, “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.”
His remarks included pointed criticism of Trump, stating, “I cannot stand back and let the new administration resume executions.” Trump’s track record during his presidency included 13 federal executions, the highest number under any president in modern times, conditions which may have contributed to the spread of COVID-19 among inmates at the time.
Following the announcement, advocacy groups reiterated calls for ending the death penalty on moral grounds, raising concerns over racial inequities and psychological tolls related to capital punishment. Biden's commutations arrive on the heels of another broad act of clemency granting commuted sentences to approximately 1,500 individuals released during the COVID-19 pandemic, marking one of the largest single-day bursts of clemency seen recently.
Within the broader societal discourse, Martin Luther King III commended Biden for his actions, stating, “The president has done what no president before him was willing to do: take meaningful and lasting action not just to acknowledge the death penalty’s racist roots but also to remedy its persistent unfairness.”
Support for Biden's decisions also surged from community figures like retired police officer Donnie Oliverio, who stated, “The president has done what is right here and what is consistent with the faith he and I share,” following the commutation of the man convicted of killing his partner.
Critics of the death penalty find momentum within Biden's actions, hoping it will herald more significant changes to federal policies surrounding capital punishment. Biden, as both politician and practicing Catholic, faces balancing act between public perception, victim family desires, and his own ethical commitments to justice reform.
While the political climate shifts toward prospective changes under Trump, Biden's clemency actions will undoubtedly impact how the conversation around capital punishment evolves. The question remains whether the president can sustain momentum for changing the existing framework and how it may affect the criminal justice system moving forward. The moral discussions surrounding the death penalty evolve continuously, reflecting broader societal values and beliefs.
