President Joe Biden, thank you for your long and honorable service to the nation. We ask you to muster one last great act of leadership: commute to life in prison without parole the sentences of the 40 inmates currently on federal death row. Seize this moment as your final chance to show the courage of your convictions and do as your faith counsels you. Justice will still be served, with those inmates suffering a lifetime of punishment. And you can rest easy, knowing that you did the right thing to the end. Be bold, act without fear, and show grace.

As president your clemency powers are practically unlimited. The power to be merciful, unhampered by legal technicalities, has been a core feature of the executive power since the King of England ruled here. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that “the executive alone” has the power of pardon, “and it is granted without limit.” Except for impeachments it is “unlimited” and “not subject to legislative control.” And the high court has recognized that this discretionary executive power to grant clemency exists in virtually every state and the federal government.