Readers react to Biden commuting 37 death sentences

readers say

President Joe Biden announced Monday that he would commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, just weeks before Donald Trump takes office. But Boston.com readers largely disagree together with his decision.

The move means inmates will remain in prison for all times with no possibility of parole. There are three remaining federal inmates who still face execution: Dylann Roof, who killed nine black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 2013 Boston Marathon bomber; And Robert Bowerswho fatally shot eleven congregants on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Biden attributed his decision to political motivations surrounding the upcoming Trump presidency in addition to 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. “I cannot in good conscience stand by and watch a new government resume the executions I stopped,” he said in an interview opinion.

In 2021, Biden's Justice Department ordered a moratorium to perform federal death sentences after a surge in executions under the Trump administration. He appeared during Trump's first term 13 federal executions – greater than under any president in modern history.

When we asked Boston.com readers to weigh in on Biden's decision, the bulk (77%) of the greater than 250 readers who responded to our poll disagreed with the move, while just below 1 / 4 (23%) agreed.

“Actions have consequences. Commit the crime and face the punishment. In fact, all cases of the death penalty involved the violent killing of another human being. “What makes the life of the convicted criminal more valuable to society than the life of the victim?” said reader Jay J. of Boston, who opposed the choice.

On the contrary, many readers who supported Biden's decision said that the death penalty is unethical and doesn’t deter crime.

“The death penalty does not deter crime and in many cases is unfairly imposed on minorities. “Furthermore, too many innocent people have been sentenced to the death penalty,” said reader Steven B..

Below, readers share their thoughts on Biden's decision to commute the death sentences of 37 inmates.

Do you agree with Biden's decision to commute the sentences of 37 people on death row?

No, I disagree

“A federal death penalty is very difficult to obtain. The law carefully protects the rights of defendants and sets a high bar for prosecution. They only apply to the most heinous first-degree murders. Once decided by a jury and upheld on appeal, they should not be swept away without compelling specific reasons. If the president disapproved of current federal law, he should have sought to change it democratically, not to cast it aside. He should also have explained why he did what he did. Undemocratic, lack of transparency, no explanation.” –

“I believe this mass commutation is another example of Joe Biden undermining the rights of victims and the decision of the judiciary. It seems to me that he did not respect the rule of law and did not evaluate all the details of the cases in question.” –

“In most cases the evidence was so convincing that there was no doubt that the defendants did it. Many of us were in Boston the day of the marathon bombing. This was an attack on our families, our culture, our community and people were killed, including a young boy. When a decision that took months is overturned by one person… What incentive is there for others not to commit such a crime? How can we defend ourselves and trust that a system will defend us against a person who has demonstrated the ability to commit acts of war or crimes without any sense of humanity?” –

“The judiciary found these people worthy of execution. Now we will support them until they finally die in prison. There will be no justice for their victims and their families with this senseless decision.” –

“The death penalty helps stop crime and reduce the cost of maintaining these inmates.” –

Yes, I agree

“I don’t want my government to play God and decide who should die and when. Courts and processes are not infallible.” –

“Death penalties should only be imposed for the most heinous acts of violence like this [Boston] Marathon bomber. Our entire legal and penal system needs to be reviewed and modernized. It’s not an easy solution, but it takes a start.” –

“The death penalty should be abolished in all states and the federal government.” –

“The death penalty has no deterrent effect and is a social revenge. Trump loved executing prisoners, and Biden prevented that by preempting his attempts.” –