News / FJP Releases

January 17, 2025

FJP Applauds President Biden on Historic Commutations for 2,500 People Convicted of Nonviolent Drug Offenses

Today, President Biden announced the commutation of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug infractions. In an official statement, President Biden noted that these individuals are currently serving disproportionately long sentences following changes to current U.S. “law, policy, and practice,” such as the crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity that disproportionately impacted Black and brown communities. The move comes on the heels of President Biden’s decision to commute the vast majority of the federal death row.  

Fair and Just Prosecution Acting Co-Executive Director Robin Olsen issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s historic announcement:

“Rectifying unjust sentencing disparities, including for crack and powder cocaine, is an important component of seeking equal justice. It is long overdue for the United States to address the cases for those serving unjust sentences that would not be given today. President Biden has cemented his legacy by addressing critical issues of justice, fairness, and criminal legal reform. We are appreciative of this action and the work done that’s led to today. There is still more work to do to move toward fairness in our justice system.”

December 23, 2024

FJP Commends President Biden for Historic Commutation of 37 Federal Death Sentences

Today, President Biden made history by commuting 37 federal death sentences – the largest number of death sentences commuted by any modern president. There are now only three individuals remaining on federal death row, and today’s commutations mean that there are no individuals at imminent risk of federal execution given the appeals process is ongoing in those cases.

“The significance of President Biden’s actions today cannot be overstated when it comes to acknowledging the profound moral abomination of the U.S. death penalty regime,” said Amy Fettig, acting Co-Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution. “Among developed nations, the United States stands alone in its commitment to a barbaric process that is riddled with errors, heavily biased against people of color, and antithetical to our nation’s highest ideals of compassion, mercy, rehabilitation, and equal justice under the law. It is time for governors in states across the nation to follow President Biden’s lead, commute the death sentences of individuals within their state criminal legal systems, and commit to bringing an end to this barbaric practice once and for all.”     

FJP Urges MI Supreme Court to Find Mandatory Life Without Parole Sentences for Emerging Adults Unconstitutional

Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig released the following statement in response to companion amicus briefs the organization submitted to the Michigan Supreme Court in The State of Michigan v. Montario Taylor and The State of Michigan v. Andrew Czarnecki.

“The State of Michigan has firmly enshrined constitutional commitments to rehabilitation – a principle that is irreconcilable with any sentence mandating that young adults must die in prison regardless of their personal circumstances or subsequent reform and growth during incarceration. Mandatory life without parole sentences for young adults go against an overwhelming and incontrovertible body of well-established research demonstrating that young adults do not have the same fully developed judgement, emotional regulation, or risk assessment ability of fully grown adults. In fact, studies show that people “age out of crime” as their brains develop. Imposing mandatory life-without-parole sentences on 19- and 20-year-olds — who cannot legally drink or even independently rent a vehicle — is an obviously cruel and unjust form of punishment that should be deemed unconstitutional by Michigan’s Supreme Court.” 

December 12, 2024

FJP Applauds President Biden for Granting Clemency to Nearly 1,500 Americans, Renews Call for Commuting Federal Death Row

Fair and Just Prosecution Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s historic decision commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals who have demonstrated successful rehabilitation and community reintegration after serving their sentences under home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history. President Biden also issued pardons to 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes.

“Today, President Biden has taken a historic step toward justice and second chances, further advancing his commitment to fairness, equity, and second chances within the criminal legal system. Now is the time to build on this progress by commuting the sentences of every individual on federal death row to sentences of life imprisonment.”

December 9, 2024

38 Prosecutors and Justice Leaders Submit Letter Urging President Biden to Commute Federal Death Sentences

A coalition of District Attorneys, Attorneys General, law enforcement officials, former judges, U.S. Attorneys and other criminal justice leaders, submitted a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to commute the sentences of all individuals currently on federal death row. By commuting all pending death sentences to sentences of life imprisonment, President Biden can use his last few months in power to spare the lives of dozens of people, showing leadership, commitment to his values, without jeopardizing public safety or accountability. 

“The death penalty is riddled with error, bias, and injustice. It targets the poorest and most vulnerable among us while failing to provide any meaningful public safety benefits,” said Amy Fettig, acting co-executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution. “During President Trump’s first term, his administration carried out 13 executions in just six months, ending a 17-year hiatus in federal executions. President Biden is a man of conscience, and he has a moral and urgent responsibility to use his executive authority to ensure another killing spree does not occur in the months ahead. Commuting these sentences is not just an act of mercy—it is a decisive step toward justice and human dignity.”