Legislative records or official announcements from the U.S. Congress or the White House

Biden Commutes 37 Federal Death Sentences to Life Terms Before Trump's Inauguration

Dec 23, 2024, 10:11 AM

President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The three inmates excluded from the commutation are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, convicted in the Boston Marathon bombing; Dylann Roof, who perpetrated the Charleston church shooting; and Robert Bowers, responsible for the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting. Biden cited moral and policy objections to capital punishment and took this action to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from resuming federal executions, which had been halted under the Biden administration. Death penalty opponents and human rights organizations had urged Biden to act before leaving office. Biden's move comes after Trump conducted 13 federal executions during his first term, more than under any president in modern history.