What does converting a sentence mean? Explains Biden's move to death row

President Joe Biden announced Monday that he is commuting the sentences of nearly all inmates on federal death row. This decision aims to prevent executions when President-elect Donald Trump takes office again.

Biden promised to abolish the death penalty during his presidential campaign, while Trump has promised to expand the death penalty.

The 37 people whose sentences were commuted will not face execution, but will remain behind bars for the rest of their lives.

So what does a converted sentence mean? Here’s what you need to know in light of Biden’s announcement:

Who are Roof, Bowers, Tsarnaev?Those three remain on federal death row after Biden’s commutation

What does it mean to transform a sentence?

A sentence commutation reduces the severity of the sentence.

According to Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the President “shall have power to grant redress and pardon for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”

A pardon and a sentence commutation are both ways for the president to grant leniency to someone who has committed a federal crime. A pardon means that the convicted person has accepted responsibility for their actions and is pardoned by the President. According to the Justice Department, this can restore some civil rights skills that would otherwise be precluded due to criminal convictions.

Commuting a sentence does not alter the conviction, imply innocence, or alter any civil disability that may apply to the convicted person.

Biden’s commutations do not apply to inmates on federal death row

The president’s authority to issue a pardon or commute a sentence applies only to federal crimes. Therefore, prisoners sentenced to death by their states are not affected by Biden’s move.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 27 states currently still use the death penalty, while 23 states have abolished it and five states carry out executions based on gubernatorial action.

According to the center, nearly 2,200 inmates faced the death penalty in state trials as of January 2024. The number of death row inmates has fallen over the last 20 years.

Federal death row inmates with lesser sentences

Here are the 37 federal death row inmates whose sentences were commuted, along with their states and sentencing details via the Death Penalty Information Center.

Shannon Wayne Agofsky (Texas): Convicted of murdering a prisoner in 2004.
Billie Jerome Allen (Missouri): Convicted in 1998 for his role in an armed bank robbery in which a bank guard was killed. He is Norris Holder’s co-defendant.
Aquilia Marcivicci Barnette (North Carolina): Convicted in 1998 of killing his ex-girlfriend and another man in a carjacking.
Brandon Leon Basham (South Carolina): Convicted in 2004 of the kidnapping and death of a woman after she escaped from prison. He is a co-defendant of Chadrick Fulks.
Anthony George Battle (Georgia): Convicted of murdering a prison guard in 1997.
Meier Jason Brown (Georgia): Convicted of the fatal knife attack on a postal worker in 2003.
Carlos David Caro (Virginia): Convicted in 2007 of killing a prisoner at a federal facility.
Wesley Paul Coonce, Jr. (Missouri): Convicted in 2014 of killing a fellow inmate in the psychiatric ward of a federal prison. He is a co-defendant of Charles Hall.
Brandon Michael Council (South Carolina): Convicted in 2019 of killing two bank employees during a bank robbery.
Christopher Emery Cramer (Texas): Convicted in 2018 of killing a fellow inmate at a federal facility. He is Ricky Fackrell’s co-defendant.
Len Davis (Louisiana): In 2005, a police officer was convicted of ordering the killing of a witness as part of an internal investigation into a police misconduct complaint against him.
Joseph Ebron (Texas): Convicted in 2009 of killing a prisoner at a federal facility.
Ricky Allen Fackrell (Texas): Convicted in 2018 of killing a prisoner at a federal facility. He is a co-defendant of Christopher Cramer.
Edward Leon Fields, Jr. (Oklahoma): Convicted in 2005 of fatally shooting two campers on federal land.
Chadrick Evan Fulks (South Carolina): Convicted in 2004 of kidnapping and killing a woman after she escaped from prison. He is Brandon Basham’s co-defendant.
Marvin Charles Gabrion, II (Michigan): Convicted in 2002 of murdering a woman on federal land.
Edgar Baltazar Garcia (Texas): Convicted in 2010 of fatal stabbing of a prisoner at a federal facility. He is Mark Snarr’s co-defendant.
Thomas Morocco Hager (Virginia): Convicted of drug-related murder in 2007.
Charles Michael Hall (Missouri): Convicted in 2014 of killing a prisoner in the psychiatric ward of a federal prison. He is a co-defendant of Wesley Coonce.
Norris G. Holder (Missouri): Convicted in 1998 of fatally shooting a security guard during a bank robbery. He is Billie Allen’s co-defendant.
Richard Allen Jackson (North Carolina): Convicted in 2001 of fatally shooting a woman on federal property.
Yurijus Kadamovas (California): Convicted in 2007 for his role in the murder and kidnapping for ransom of five immigrants from Russia and Georgia. He is co-defendant of Iouri Mikhel.
Daryl Lawrence (Ohio): Convicted in 2006 of fatally shooting a special constable during an attempted bank robbery.
Iouri Mikhel (California): Convicted in 2007 for his role in the murder and kidnapping of five Russian and Georgian immigrants. He is a co-defendant of Yurijus Kadamovas.
Ronaldo Mikos (Illinois): Convicted in 2005 of killing a federal grand jury witness as part of a Medicare fraud investigation.
James H. Roane, Jr. (Virginia): Convicted in 1993 for his involvement in a series of drug-related murders. He is a co-defendant of Corey Johnson and Richard Tipton.
Julius Omar Robinson (Texas): Convicted in 2002 of killing two men in drug-related incidents.
David Anthony Runyon (Virginia): Convicted in 2009 for his role in the death of a naval officer in a contract killing.
Ricardo Sanchez, Jr. (Florida): Convicted in 2009 for his role in the drug-related killings of a family, including two children. He is Daniel Troya’s co-defendant.
Thomas Steven Sanders (Louisiana): Convicted in 2014 of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl resulting in her death.
Kaboni Savage (Pennsylvania): Convicted in 2013 for his role in the killing of twelve people in connection with a drug operation.
Mark Isaac Snarr (Texas): Convicted in 2010 of fatally stabbing a fellow inmate while he was incarcerated in a federal prison. He is Edgar Garcia’s co-defendant.
Rejon Taylor (Tennessee): Convicted in 2008 of car theft, kidnapping and death of a restaurant owner.
Richard Tipton (Virginia): Convicted in 1993 for his involvement in a series of drug-related murders. He is a co-defendant of Corey Johnson and James H. Roane, Jr.
Jorge Avila Torrez (Virginia): Former Marine convicted in 2014 of killing fellow soldier.
Daniel Troya (Florida): Convicted in 2009 for his role in the drug-related killings of a family, including two children. He is a co-defendant of Ricardo Sanchez Jr.
Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana (North Carolina): Convicted in 2010 of fatally shooting two brothers at a North Carolina restaurant.

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