U.S. President Biden has approved clemency for 37 out of the 40 federal prisoners on death row, effectively commuting their sentences to life imprisonment without the chance for parole.

The exceptions to this clemency are the convicted killer from the Tree of Life Synagogue incident, the shooter from the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, and the surviving perpetrator of the Boston Marathon bombing.

This development is anticipated to ignite political discussions, despite the fact that the power of presidential commutation and pardoning is extensive, constitutionally protected, and cannot be reversed.

In 2021, the Justice Department imposed a halt on executions to reassess its protocols and policies.

The President-elect, Donald Trump, has expressed his intent to reinstate executions and possibly broaden the crimes that are eligible for the death penalty.

In a statement regarding the commutations, Mr. Biden seemed to reference Trump’s declaration, stating, “In all good faith, I cannot remain idle and allow a successive administration to reinstate the executions that I have halted.”

He further added, “These commutations align with the suspension my administration has placed on federal executions, except for cases of terrorism and hate-driven mass murder.”

“Let there be no confusion: I denounce these killers, mourn for their heinous acts’ victims, and empathize with the families who have endured unspeakable and irreversible loss.”

“However, guided by my conscience and experiences as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I firmly believe more than ever that the use of the death penalty at the federal level must end.”

to this report.