This morning, bleary eyed at 5 am as I got up to start my day, I saw all the red notification alerts on my phone, and to be honest, at first I thought something terrible had happened. It took me a minute to process the incredible news that we have all been working on and hoping to see for weeks – President Biden has commuted 37 of the 40 people on death row.
That’s 37 people who woke up not under a death sentence. 37 families who won’t suffer the pain and collateral damage of having a loved one executed. 37 legal teams who fought tirelessly, some for decades, to save their clients lives.
And that also means 37 families whose loved ones were murdered are no longer caught in this cycle of violence. They are no longer waiting for a sentence that may or may not be carried out. They won’t have to endure more painful memories dragged to the surface every time the case is in court. They can move towards healing.
Mercy is always worth it. The death penalty is not justice.
As I reflect upon this historic moment, I understand the range of reactions that might be provoked by President Biden’s decision to come short of commuting the sentences of all 40 death row prisoners. I hear you, and I join you in this mix of elation and frustration.
Still, I am choosing to recognize the profound action that has been taken today and the fundamental change it will bring to the death penalty in this country. In that spirit, thank YOU for making your voice heard, for speaking your truth, for coming together to demand this action.
I’m so proud to be a part of this moment, and I know that we won’t stop until every person on Florida’s death row gets the exact same reprieve.
Please join us in thanking President Biden for taking this historic step, and standing with us on the right side of history.
The arc of the moral universe is indeed long, but today it bent a little more towards justice. We won’t rest until it is bent the rest of the way to ensure equal justice for all.
Onward,
Maria DeLiberato
FADP Executive Director