A former prison warden with ties to the Trump administration is making an urgent request for President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of all individuals on federal death row before he leaves office. This surprising call for clemency comes from a figure associated with the previous administration’s aggressive stance on capital punishment, highlighting the growing bipartisan support for rethinking the use of the federal death penalty.
The warden, who served in a leadership role at a federal prison under Trump, has publicly called for the commutation of death sentences as part of a broader effort to promote justice reform. With just days left in Biden’s presidency, this plea comes at a pivotal moment, as Biden has previously expressed his opposition to the death penalty.
Under Trump, the federal government carried out 13 executions in 2020, making it the most active year for federal executions in nearly two decades. Many of those executed had controversial legal cases, with concerns over racial bias, intellectual disabilities, and mental illness. Despite this, the Trump administration continued its push to carry out executions, drawing widespread criticism from human rights groups and advocates for criminal justice reform.
Biden, who has opposed the death penalty throughout his political career, has the power to commute the sentences of those on federal death row. The warden’s appeal underscores a growing consensus that the federal death penalty system is flawed, with disproportionate impacts on people of color and marginalized communities.
The call for clemency aligns with Biden’s commitment to criminal justice reform and his previous pledge to work toward eliminating the federal death penalty. Critics argue that the continued use of the death penalty risks irreversible mistakes, with innocent individuals potentially being executed due to flawed legal processes.
As Biden’s time in office winds down, this final opportunity to address federal death sentences could be a defining moment in his legacy on criminal justice reform. The warden’s pro-Trump background makes this plea particularly noteworthy, as it transcends traditional partisan divides, signaling a shared recognition of the need for change in America’s approach to capital punishment.
As the pressure mounts for Biden to act, advocates are urging the president to make a bold statement of compassion and justice by commuting the sentences of those on federal death row before January 20, 2025.
Join Us in Urging President Biden to Commute Federal Death Row Sentences
There are 40 men on federal death row, and time is running out for President Biden to commute their sentences and save their lives.
With Donald Trump set to take office on January 20, we face the real risk that the federal death penalty will be swiftly reinstated. Trump has made it clear that he plans to resume federal executions, and his record speaks for itself. In 2020, Trump, along with Attorney General William Barr, ordered the execution of 13 individuals—12 men and one woman—in just six months. Many of these individuals had intellectual disabilities, serious mental illnesses, and histories of trauma. Their legal cases were marred by racial bias, junk science, and other flaws. Seven of the 13 executed were people of color, and despite pleas for mercy from victims’ families and calls for fairness from a broad coalition of Americans, these lives were still taken.
The federal death penalty, like its state-level counterparts, is riddled with racial and geographic bias. Currently, 55% of the 40 people on federal death row are people of color, despite making up just 13% of the U.S. population. These death sentences are disproportionately concentrated in just a few states—Texas, Virginia, and Missouri account for 43% of current federal death sentences.
By commuting the sentences of those on federal death row, President Biden can take a crucial step toward ending unjust executions and advancing a fairer, more equitable America. This action will honor a promise he made in 2020 and serve as a meaningful step toward healing America’s long history of racial and economic injustice.
Please sign our petition urging President Biden to commute the sentences of the 40 men on federal death row by January 20, 2025. By doing so, he can demonstrate leadership in justice reform and secure his legacy as a champion of compassion, equity, and social progress.
We cannot afford to uphold a system that risks innocent lives and perpetuates racial injustice. Join us in calling for an end to federal executions today.
Thank you for your dedication to ending state-sanctioned killing.