Bondi transfers eight Biden-clemency inmates to ADX supermax

Eight federal inmates who were on death row for federal murders were transferred Tuesday to the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, known as ADX, the Justice Department said. The inmates are among 37 death-row prisoners whose sentences were commuted by President Biden in December. The Department of Justice said additional transfers to ADX are expected in the coming weeks, with all 37 inmates slated to be relocated by early next year, a DOJ source told Fox News Digital.

All eight inmates were convicted of first-degree murder in federal court. Some killed fellow prisoners while serving time, and several had histories that distinguished them even among federal offenders. In one case, prosecutors say a man murdered a married couple who were camping at a campsite in the Ouachita National Forest in July 2003. In another, the inmate kidnapped, robbed, and murdered a local bank president by tying him to a concrete block and hoisting him into a lake. The Justice Department noted that several of the inmates killed other prisoners during confinement, a factor considered when weighing transfers to ADX, the federal government’s only true supermax facility.

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Digital that she had met with many of the victims’ families at the Department of Justice and promised to take action on their behalf. "After meeting with many of the victims’ families at the Department of Justice and promising to take action on their behalf, eight of these prisoners have been transferred to the Colorado super-max prison ADX. This will ensure that they spend the remainder of their lives in conditions consistent with the egregious crimes they committed," Bondi said.

Bondi issued a memo shortly after taking office directing the Bureau of Prisons to evaluate where these prisoners should be detained, arguing that the moves would restore a measure of justice to victims’ families and ensure confinement conditions reflect the security risks posed by the inmates. DOJ officials have said the transfers are part of a broader effort to address concerns raised by victims’ families and prosecutors while maintaining public safety.

ADX Florence is the federal government’s premier high-security facility, designed to hold the country’s most dangerous inmates under conditions of extreme isolation. Its roster has included high-profile figures such as Ramzi Yousef, the 1993 World Trade Center bomber; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bombers; Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, former leader of the Sinaloa cartel; and Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, a longtime al-Qaeda operative. The transfers to ADX underscore a continuing effort by some members of the administration and justice system to recalibrate the handling of violent-crime cases that intersect federal clemency actions.

The eight inmates moved to ADX on Tuesday are part of Biden’s December clemency action affecting 37 death-row inmates. DOJ officials have said more inmates will be moved in the coming weeks, with the goal of relocating all 37 by early next year. Critics have characterized the late-term clemency push as controversial and politically charged, while victims’ families and some lawmakers have urged more stringent scrutiny and accountability.

Pam Bondi’s office has argued that the ongoing review and adjustment of clemency actions reflect accountability for victims’ families and a focus on public safety. As the DOJ advances its process, the department says it intends to ensure that confinement conditions align with the gravity of the offenses and the risks posed by each inmate.