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Readers disagree with Biden’s decision to commute 37 death row sentences. Here’s why.
“If [Biden] disapproved of the applicable federal law, he should have tried to change it democratically – not swept it aside,” one respondent said.
President Joe Biden announced Monday he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, just weeks before Donald Trump is set to take office. But Boston.com readers largely disagree with his decision.
The move means the inmates will remain in prison for life without the possibility of parole. There are three remaining federal inmates who are still facing execution: Dylann Roof, who in 2015 killed nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018.
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Biden attributed his decision to political motivations around the upcoming Trump presidency, as well as his longstanding stance against federal executions “in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”
“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,” he said in a statement.
In 2021, Biden’s Justice Department ordered a moratorium on carrying out federal death sentences after a surge in executions under the Trump administration. During Trump’s first term, he carried out 13 federal executions – more than under any president in modern history.
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When we asked Boston.com readers to weigh in on Biden’s decision, the majority (77%) of the more than 250 readers who responded to our poll disagreed with the move, while just under a quarter (23%) were in agreement.
Do you agree with Biden's decision to commute the sentences of 37 individuals on death row?
Yes, I agree
23%
No, I disagree
77%
“Actions have consequences. Do the crime, face the punishment. Indeed, all capital punishment cases involved the forceful taking of another human being’s life. What makes the convicted criminal’s life more valuable than the victim’s life to society?” reader Jay J. from Boston, who was against the decision, said.
On the contrary, many readers who supported Biden’s decision said capital punishment is unethical and is not a deterrent to crime.
“The death penalty does not deter crime and is unjustly applied to minorities in many instances. Also, too many innocent people have been sentenced to the death penalty,” reader Steven B. said.
Below, readers share their thoughts on Biden’s decision to commute the death row sentences of 37 inmates.
Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Do you agree with Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 individuals on death row?
No, I disagree
“Federal capital sentences are very difficult to get. The law carefully protects defendants’ rights and sets a high bar for the prosecution. They are only for the most heinous of first degree murders. Once reached by a jury and affirmed on appeal they should not be swept away absent compelling particular reasons. If the president disapproved of the applicable federal law he should have tried to change it democratically, not swept it aside. He also should have explained why he did what he did in each case. Undemocratic, lacking transparency, no explanation.” – Bill D., Barnstable
“I believe this mass commutation is yet another example of Joe Biden undermining the rights of victims and the decision of the judiciary process. It feels like he does not respect the rule of law and did not evaluate the details of all the subject cases.” – Pete, Newburyport
“In most cases the evidence was so strong there was no doubt the defendants did it. Many of us were in Boston the day the Marathon bombing occurred. That was an attack on our families, our culture, our community and people were killed, including a little boy. If a decision that took months to come to was overturned by one person…What is the incentive for others to not conduct such a crime? How are we to defend ourselves and trust a system will defend us against a person who has proven they can commit acts of war or crimes devoid of any sense of humanity?” – Mo, Maynard
“The justice system found these people worthy of being put to death. So now we’ll be supporting them until they ultimately die in prison. Their victims and their families get no justice with this mindless decision.” – Jerry M., Georgetown
“The death penalty helps stop crime and the cost of supporting these inmates.” – Steve E., Yarmouth
Yes, I agree
“I don’t want my government playing God and deciding who should die and when. Courts and trials are not infallible.” – Mary F., Cape Cod
“Death sentences should only be used in the most heinous acts of violence such as the [Boston] Marathon bomber. Our entire legal and penal system needs review and modernization. It’s not an easy fix, but it needs a start.” – J.C.
“The death penalty should be done away in all states and the federal government.” – John C., Chatham
“The death penalty is not a deterrent and it’s societal revenge. Trump loved having prisoners executed and Biden prevented this by pre-empting his attempts.” – Francine W., Wenham
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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