Death penalty in the USA: How often is there clemency?

In the United States, death row inmates rarely receive clemency through a clemency process. Since 1976, there have been only ten significant cases in which governors or presidents have pardoned multiple death row inmates.

A notable example is President Joe Biden, who in December 2024 commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 federal prisoners to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Commuting death sentences to life imprisonment remains a rarity. A well-known example is former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who commuted all death sentences in his state to life imprisonment in 2003.

However, there are also cases in which people sentenced to death are acquitted during their appeals process. Since 1973, at least 200 death row inmates have been subsequently exonerated.

Nevertheless, the granting of clemency to death row inmates in the United States remains an exception – and the death penalty remains a controversial issue.