President Biden’s historic decision to commute the death sentences of 37 people on federal death row follows weeks of advocacy from a diverse coalition of voices spanning the faith, political, and business communities.

As President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to assume office in the new year, we hope his administration will consider the many opportunities that exist to advance greater fairness and justice across the country in partnership with the business community.

Arizona Capitol Times: When you stepped into office, many of us felt renewed optimism. We knew you opposed the death penalty. We heard that you supported life sentences without parole instead of capital punishment.

The Independent: Pope Francis spoke about the situation on Sunday. His prayer was closely followed by the release of a series of open letters on Monday from leaders including Branson, Sheryl Sandberg and others.

Rolling Stone: Biden didn’t end the federal death penalty. Advocates hope he’ll still commute the sentences of those on federal death row, before Trump takes over.

The Independent: Advocates fear Trump will ramp up federal executions upon taking office. Business leaders and families of murder victims are calling on President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of inmates on federal death row.

The Washington Post: Joe Biden ran for president opposing the death penalty. He faces calls to commute federal death sentences before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.

Letter signed by Sir Richard Branson, Paul Polman, and Sheryl Sandberg says the death penalty undermines “good governance, stability, and fairness.” 

People Management: The stigma surrounding hiring individuals with criminal records often feels insurmountable, but Ken Oliver, a member of the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ), believes the root lies in misunderstanding. 

Lawndale News: The President and CEO of North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) shares how Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act has positively impacted their business.

Delaware Business Times: JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) will be launching an equitable hiring initiative to shore up Wilmington’s workforce by working with 10 employers to train them on updated screening processes to help reduce barriers to employment.

Delaware State Chamber of Commerce: The Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) and JPMorganChase announce the launch of the Delaware Equitable Hiring Initiative (DE EHI), an innovative multi-year pilot project to help strengthen Wilmington's workforce by empowering local employers to tap into overlooked talent from the city’s underserved communities.

Delaware Business Now: The Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) and JPMorgan Chase have launched the Delaware Equitable Hiring Initiative, a multi-year pilot project to help to tap into overlooked talent in underserved communities.

The Independent: Missouri death row inmate Marcellus Williams has been executed despite a prosecutor in the case and the victim’s family saying his life should be spared.

MarketWatch: ‘Our products are intended to support, protect and save lives,’ Dräger’s chairman tells MarketWatch ahead of Alabama’s second nitrogen-gas execution

USA Today: Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri on Tuesday, having been convicted for the 1998 murder of Lisha Gayle, a former police reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch killed during a burglary at the St. Louis suburban home she shared with her physician husband.

BBC: Marcellus Williams was executed on Tuesday night in the US state of Missouri after spending more than two decades on death row.

Black Enterprise: The case of Marcellus Williams has attracted nationwide attention as yet another reminder that the death penalty is often unjustly applied

The Independent: Marcellus Williams, 55, avoided execution at last minute in 2017

MarketWatch: ‘The death penalty is the ultimate injustice: It’s inhumane, it’s irreversible and it’s riddled with errors,’ Virgin Galactic founder says.