In a sweeping and controversial decision during his final month in office, President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 federal inmates, converting their punishments to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This move comes as Biden prepares to leave the White House on January 20, with Republican President-elect Donald Trump slated to take office.
The decision spares the lives of inmates convicted of heinous crimes, including nine individuals who murdered fellow prisoners, four involved in deadly bank robberies, and one who killed a prison guard. Notably, three inmates remain on federal death row, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber, a man who murdered 11 Jewish worshippers in 2018, and a white supremacist responsible for killing nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.
The announcement has ignited a political firestorm. Trump, a staunch supporter of the federal death penalty, lambasted Biden’s decision on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Joe Biden just commuted the death sentences of 37 of the worst killers in our country,” Trump posted. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening.”
Biden, who placed a moratorium on federal executions earlier in his presidency, faced mounting pressure from advocates and rights groups to act decisively before leaving office. Trump, however, has signaled intentions to resume federal executions during his administration, marking a potential reversal of Biden’s criminal justice stance.
This decision underscores the sharp ideological divide between the outgoing and incoming administrations on the issue of capital punishment, with Biden framing his move as a step toward reform and Trump positioning it as a betrayal of justice for victims and their families.
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