Biden Commutes Leonard Peltier's Life Sentence to Home Confinement, Allowing 80-Year-Old Activist to Return to Pine Ridge Reservation

Jan 20, 2025, 05:19 PM

In one of his final acts as president, Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Peltier, who has been in prison for nearly 50 years, will transition to home confinement. The commutation allows Peltier, now 80 years old and suffering from severe health ailments, to spend his remaining days at home, though it does not pardon him for the underlying crimes. Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and active in the American Indian Movement, has long been a focal point of advocacy for his release from tribal leaders, human rights organizations, and notable figures. The decision comes amidst ongoing controversy and opposition from the FBI.