Activists Call on Biden to Clear Death Row Before Trump Takes Office

As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office in January, activists are calling on him to take swift action to clear federal death row before President Trump leaves office. The urgency of this call comes as the Trump administration has accelerated federal executions in recent months, carrying out more executions in 2020 than in the previous 56 years combined.

Activists argue that the death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment that has no place in a just society. They point to the racial disparities in the application of the death penalty, with Black and Brown individuals disproportionately sentenced to death. They also highlight the risk of executing innocent individuals, as well as the psychological toll that prolonged stays on death row can have on inmates.

In addition to these moral arguments against the death penalty, activists are also concerned about the potential for political motivations to influence the use of the death penalty. With Trump’s track record of using the death penalty as a political tool, activists fear that he may seek to carry out executions in his final days in office as a way to solidify his tough-on-crime image.

In response to these concerns, activists are calling on President-elect Biden to use his executive authority to commute the sentences of all individuals on federal death row. They argue that this action would send a powerful message about Biden’s commitment to criminal justice reform and his opposition to the death penalty.

Biden has previously expressed his opposition to the death penalty, and his campaign platform included a pledge to work towards ending the federal death penalty. Activists are hopeful that he will follow through on this promise and take action to clear federal death row before Trump leaves office.

As the clock ticks down to Biden’s inauguration, activists are ramping up their efforts to pressure the incoming administration to act quickly on this issue. They are organizing letter-writing campaigns, social media campaigns, and direct actions to raise awareness about the urgency of clearing federal death row.

In the final weeks of the Trump administration, activists are calling on President Trump to halt all federal executions and to work with Biden to ensure a smooth transition on this issue. They argue that clearing federal death row would be a powerful step towards healing the wounds of a broken criminal justice system and towards building a more just and compassionate society.

As the nation prepares for a new administration, activists are hopeful that President-elect Biden will listen to their calls and take bold action to clear federal death row before Trump leaves office. The time to act is now, and the stakes could not be higher.