By Tiffany Williams –
President Joe Biden on Monday commuted the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row.
The White House said those individuals will have their sentences reclassified from execution to life without the possibility of parole.
“President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system. He believes that America must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder – which is why today’s actions apply to all but those cases,” the White said. “When President Biden came into office, his Administration imposed a moratorium on federal executions, and his actions today will prevent the next Administration from carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice.”
Earlier in December, the President Biden granted clemency for 1,500 people which was the most ever in a single day.
Those 1,500 people, the White House said, showed successful rehabilitation and a commitment to making communities safer. This included sentence commutations for nearly 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, as well as 39 pardons for individuals who were convicted of non-violent crimes.
The White House also said, President Biden is the first President ever to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation.
In a statement to the media on Monday, President Biden said, “I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system. Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. 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. But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
The three people on the federal execution list who were not on Biden’s commutation list are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing; Robert Bowers, who was convicted of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue antisemitic attack; and Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in a racially motivated shooting in South Carolina.
Kaboni Savage, a notorious drug kingpin hailing from Philadelphia, gained infamy for orchestrating a series of heinous crimes, including the plotting and execution of at least twelve murders. Among his most heinous acts was the orchestration of a firebombing in 2004, targeting the home of a federal informant. This brutal attack resulted in the tragic deaths of the informant’s mother, young son, and four other family members, highlighting the depths of his criminal enterprise and willingness to eliminate those who opposed him. Savage is one of the 37 federal death row inmates whose sentences were commuted by President Biden.
Unlike executive orders, which can be easily reversed by a successor, clemency decisions are more permanent and remain in effect regardless of who holds the presidential office in the future. President Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of individuals currently on federal death row. comes at a critical time, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on January 20.
Donald Trump has made it known that he intends to take a tough stance on crime, particularly concerning drug offenses. In a speech launching his 2024 presidential campaign, he advocated for severe measures, suggesting that someone “caught selling drugs” should face the death penalty due to the “heinous acts” associated with drug trafficking. His rhetoric reflects a broader inclination to expand the use of capital punishment. Trump further articulated his position by vowing to impose the death penalty on drug and human traffickers, even going so far as to commend China’s stringent measures against drug dealers, which are widely seen as inhumane.
During his first term in office, Trump was notably responsible for an increase in federal executions, with 13 carried out, marking the highest number under any president in modern history, as reported by the Associated Press.