President Biden Commutes Sentences Of 37 Federal Inmates, Excludes High-Profile Mass Murderers

President Biden addressing a crowd in Philadelphia. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

President Joe Biden on Monday commuted the sentences of 37 inmates on federal death row.

The commutations reclassify the sentences of these individuals from execution to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the White House said.

The outgoing president excluded three individuals convicted of mass shootings and acts of terrorism from clemency. Those excluded were: Dylann Roof, the White nationalist who killed nine people in a Charleston, South Carolina, church; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bombers; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue.

The 37 inmates who had their sentences commuted were convicted of crimes ranging from murder to drug offenses.

In 2021, the Biden administration put in place a moratorium on capital punishment at the federal level to study the issue.

In a statement, President Biden reaffirmed his commitment to ending federal executions.

“These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder,” he said.

The president, who has opposed the death penalty, emphasized that his decision was motivated by both moral and practical concerns. He expressed deep sympathy for the families of victims while underscoring his belief that capital punishment has no place in the federal 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,” the president said.

News of the expected move drew criticism from some commentators last week.

President-elect Donald Trump, who was convicted of felony offenses this year in a New York state case, has promised to expand federal executions of inmates. His first term saw 13 federal inmates executed.

Earlier this month, Biden announced the largest single-day clemency action in U.S. history when he commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 Americans and pardoning 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes. Many of the commuted sentences involved individuals placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and had successfully reintegrated into their communities, according to the White House.

The president has also issued categorical pardons for individuals convicted of marijuana possession and for LGBTQI+ former service members who were criminalized for their sexual orientation.

On December 1, Biden issued a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, ahead of court for tax fraud and gun offenses tied to past drug addiction. Hunter Biden was convicted of the gun offenses and pleaded guilty to tax fraud in December.

Hunter Biden’s pardon drew condemnations from some of the left and right.

The White House indicated that additional clemency actions are forthcoming.

“In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations,” the White House said in a statement.

A list of the inmates who will not receive the death penalty: