Biden commutes death sentences of 37 of 40 federal death row inmates most sweeping clemency

President Biden commutes the death sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Biden, who has opposed the death penalty throughout his career, says the commutations reflect his belief that the government should not carry out executions. He does not commute the sentences of three individuals convicted of mass murders, including the perpetrators of the Charleston church shooting, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, and the Boston Marathon bombing. The action is the most sweeping clemency action regarding the federal death penalty since the practice was effectively halted under earlier administrations.