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STATEMENT: With Commutations, President Biden Stood Up for Justice, Due Process, and Accountability
Press Statement

STATEMENT: With Commutations, President Biden Stood Up for Justice, Due Process, and Accountability

Washington, D.C. — Today, President Biden announced that he is commuting death sentences into life in prison sentences for 37 individuals on federal death row. Following the announcement, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The death penalty is not justice. It has no public safety benefit and because of its permanence, it shortcuts our legal system’s foundational guarantee of due process and fairness. The 37 individuals benefiting from today’s announcement will continue to be held accountable for the harms that they caused to their victims and their victims’ families, but they have been spared from the risk of imminent execution once Donald Trump regains the presidency. During his first term, Donald Trump oversaw more executions than any president since Grover Cleveland, and he has pledged to expand the death penalty in his second term.
Today, President Biden was guided by his conscience to take this historic step, and in doing so, has cemented his legacy as a champion for mercy, compassion, and justice for all.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Julia Cusick at [email protected] 
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