On December 23, 2024, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, replacing their sentences with life imprisonment. The decision came weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office.
Biden’s statement emphasized the moral imperative to end federal executions while acknowledging the gravity of the inmates’ crimes. However, three individuals convicted of hate-driven and terrorist acts, including Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, will remain on death row.
This marks a stark contrast to Trump’s first term, during which his administration resumed federal executions after a 17-year hiatus, carrying out 13 executions. Biden’s decision aligns with his 2020 campaign promise to end the federal death penalty and follows advocacy from rights groups such as Amnesty International.
While 23 U.S. states have abolished the death penalty and six others have moratoriums, capital punishment remains legal at the federal level. In 2024, there were 25 state-level executions in the U.S.
Rights advocates have praised Biden’s move as a milestone in human rights but urged further steps to abolish the federal death penalty entirely.