President-elect Joe Biden promises to work to abolish the federal death penalty.

2020 demonstrates the random callous nature of the death penalty. Until July 7,2020, for 17 years, the federal government did not execute a single federal prisoner. With the Trump administration’s “tough on crime” policies, the executions began. Three executions in a row, followed by two more executions, and then two more the next month. These men, most in their 50’s, have been on death row for decades. In a flash, some with appeals still pending, some profoundly mentally ill, some with viable claims of innocence, they are all dead. It is unknown how many more will be executed before Joe Biden has a chance to stop the killing.