Today, President Biden granted commutations to most people on federal death row. The Brennan Center has advocated for these commutations along with a vast array of partner organizations. Lauren-Brooke Eisen, senior director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, had the following comment:
“We are grateful that President Biden made the historic decision to grant commutations to 37 people on federal death row, an important acknowledgment that the death penalty is unevenly applied based on differences of geography, race, and legal representation. We are encouraged by today’s announcement and President Biden’s December 12 decision to commute the sentences of medically vulnerable individuals on home confinement, which the Brennan Center for Justice and our allies have been advocating for. We hope the President will continue to use the clemency power in his remaining days in office, focusing now on the thousands of people who are serving unfairly long, racially disparate drug sentences.”
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