President Joe Biden Is Reportedly Considering Commuting Death Penalty Sentences To Life Behind Bars

Joe Biden

President Joe Biden Is Reportedly Considering Commuting Death Penalty Sentences To Life Behind Bars

President Joe Biden is reportedly weighing the commutation of sentences for the majority, if not all, of the 40 inmates on federal death row, according to sources familiar with the discussions who spoke exclusively to the Wall Street Journal.

The decision would likely hinder President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to revive the accelerated schedule of federal executions that characterized his first term.

The push for clemency has been championed by a diverse coalition of religious and civil-rights organizations, gaining significant traction earlier this month after Pope Francis called for the commutation of death sentences in a weekly address.

If carried out, the commutation would replace the prisoners’ death sentences, all convicted of murder, with life imprisonment without parole. Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, spoke with Pope Francis on Thursday and is slated to meet him at the Vatican next month, according to the White House.

What are your thoughts on this decision?