Biden Spurs Controversy by Commuting Most Federal Death Sentences, Retaining Just 3 on Death Row

President Joe Biden announced on Monday the commutation of death sentences for 37 inmates, a decision he attributed to his moral convictions. However, the death sentences for three men implicated in high-profile hate-motivated mass shootings remain intact.

Biden, who has maintained a moratorium on federal executions during his presidency, transformed the death sentences into life terms without the possibility of parole. He emphasized his long-standing commitment “to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system.”

“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 stated, underscoring the complexity of his decision.

He further elaborated, “Guided by my conscience and my diverse experiences as a public defender, senator, vice president, and now president, I am increasingly convinced that we must end the use of the death penalty at the federal level. I cannot allow a new administration to resume the executions I halted.”

The three individuals whose sentences were not commuted include Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the tragic 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; Dylann Roof, who murdered nine churchgoers at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015; and Robert Bowers, convicted for the 2018 massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue.

Biden’s recent actions follow a significant commutation on December 12, when he reduced the sentences of 1,500 individuals placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and granted pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent offenses.

The president faced criticism from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and others for including in the mass commutations a judge convicted in 2011 of facilitating the “Cash for Kids” scheme, which involved sending children to prison in exchange for kickbacks from a private jail.

Pressure from advocates for the abolition of the death penalty and some members of Congress prompted Biden to consider these commutations, particularly given the potential return of Donald Trump, who expedited executions during his initial term.

The White House has confirmed the identities of the 37 inmates whose sentences were commuted, which include individuals like Shannon Wayne Agofsky and Billie Jerome Allen, among others.