Readers say

“If (Biden) disapproved of applicable federal law, he should have tried to democratically change it — not sweep it away,” one interviewee said.

By Annie Jonas

December 24, 2024 | 1:05 p.m.

4 minutes to read

President Joe Biden announced Monday that it was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, just weeks before Donald Trump took office. But Boston.com readers largely disagree with his decision.

The decision means the inmates will remain in prison for life without the possibility of parole. There are three federal inmates still at risk of execution: Dylan Roofwho in 2015 killed nine black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; And Robert Bowerswho fatally shot 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Biden attributed his decision to political motivations related to the upcoming Trump presidency, as well as his long-standing stance against federal executions “in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murders.”

“I am more convinced than ever that we must end the use of the death penalty at the federal level. I cannot in good conscience stand back and let a new administration resume the executions I stopped,” he said in a statement. statement.

In 2021, the Biden Justice Department ordered a moratorium on the execution of federal death sentences after an increase in executions under the Trump administration. During Trump’s first term, he achieved 13 federal executions – more than under any president in modern history.

When we asked Boston.com readers weighed in on Biden’s decision, with the majority (77%) of the more than 250 readers who responded to our poll disagreeing with the decision, while just under a quarter (23 %) agreed.

“Actions have consequences. Commit the crime, face the punishment. Indeed, all capital punishment cases involved the forcible taking of the life of another human being. What makes the life of the convicted criminal more valuable than that of the victim to society? said reader Jay J. of Boston, who was against the decision.

On the contrary, many readers who supported Biden’s decision said that capital punishment is unethical and does not deter crime.

“The death penalty has no deterrent effect on crime and is often unfairly applied to minorities. Besides, too many innocent people have been given the death penalty,” said reader Steven B..

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

Answers have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

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

No, I don’t agree

“Federal capital punishments are very difficult to obtain. The law carefully protects the rights of defendants and sets a high bar for prosecution. They only concern the most heinous first degree murders. Once reached by a jury and upheld on appeal, they should not be swept aside in the absence of compelling special reasons. If the president disapproved of applicable federal law, he should have attempted to democratically change it, not sweep it aside. He should also have explained why he did what he did in each case. Undemocratic, lack of transparency, no explanation. – Bill D., Barnstable

“I think this massive commutation is another example of Joe Biden undermining the rights of victims and the decision of the judicial process. The impression is that he does not respect the rule of law and has not evaluated the details of all the cases in question. – Pete, Newburyport

“In most cases, the evidence was so strong that there was no doubt that the defendants did it. Many of us were in Boston the day of the Marathon bombing. It was an attack on our families, our culture, our community and people were killed, including a little boy. If a decision that took months was overturned by one person… What motivates others not to commit such a crime? How can we defend ourselves and trust that a system will defend us against someone who has proven they can commit acts of war or crimes devoid of any sense of humanity? – Mo, Maynard

“The justice system ruled that these people deserved to be put to death. So now we will support them until they die in prison. Their victims and their families will get no justice with this ill-considered decision. » – Jerry M., Georgetown

“The death penalty helps put an end to crime and reduces the cost of caring for these prisoners. » – Steve E., Yarmouth

Yes, I agree

“I don’t want my government to play God and decide who should die and when. Courts and trials are not infallible. – Mary F., Cape Cod

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

“The death penalty should be abolished in all states and in the federal government. » – John C., Chatham

“The death penalty has no deterrent effect, it is societal vengeance. Trump loved to execute prisoners and Biden prevented him by anticipating his attempts.” – Francine W., Wenham

Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be interpreted as an unscientific measure of reader opinion.

Annie Jonas is a community editor at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.