US President Joe Biden commutes the sentences of 37 death row inmates

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden announced today that he is commuting the sentences of 37 people sentenced to death. These individuals will have their sentences commuted from execution to life without parole.

President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system. He believes that America must end 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 action applies to all but these cases. When President Biden took office, his administration imposed a moratorium on executions at the federal level, and his actions today will prevent the next administration from carrying out death sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice.

This historic clemency measure builds on the President's record on criminal justice reform. The President has issued more commutations at this stage of his presidency than any of his recent predecessors did at the same stage of their first terms. Earlier this month, the President announced the pardoning of approximately 1,500 Americans, the most ever in a single day, who have demonstrated successful rehabilitation and efforts to make society safer. These included commutations for nearly 1,500 individuals who were placed under house arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully returned to their families and communities, as well as 39 pardons for individuals who were convicted of non-violent crimes. President Biden is also the first President ever to grant categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana and former LGBTQI+ service members who were convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation.

The President's record on criminal justice has transformed the lives of individuals and positively impacted communities, especially historically marginalized ones. In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and sentence commutations.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. commutes the sentences of the following 37 individuals to life without parole:

whitehouse.gov / gnews.cz-jav