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. For many, this felt like a hopeful sign that we might see a shift away from retribution and toward a more compassionate approach to justice.

This fall, I started an internship with a nonprofit organization that advocates for changes to our criminal justice system. It’s opened my eyes to just how deeply inequities run within the system, where justice isn’t equal, and the consequences are often devastating. I’ve learned about wrongful conviction cases— about the 200 people exonerated at the state level since the 1970s. Many of them were sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. Stories like these show just how real and terrifying the risks are when we choose the ultimate punishment.

Today, 40 people remain on federal death row. Before the Trump administration, federal executions were rare, only three had been carried out since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the federal death penalty in 1988. But in the final days of President Trump’s term, this changed drastically, as 13 inmates were executed—even as Covid spread through our prisons. Among them was Brandon Bernard, who was only 18 when he committed his crime. The pause on federal executions, which had lasted over 15 years, was broken, signaling what felt like a step back for our nation—choosing vengeance over mercy and punishment over healing.

As a young person watching the results of the recent presidential election unfold, I’m concerned we’re entering a phase where we’re moving toward leading with an iron fist. What we need from you now, more than ever, is compassionate leadership. Give us examples that remind us that justice can coexist with mercy. My generation needs to see this within our leaders if we are to grow up believing in the ideals of fairness, empathy, and justice for all.

You have the power to set a legacy that embodies those ideals. Commuting the sentences of those on federal death row would send a powerful message: that even in challenging times, America chooses healing over retribution. It would be a legacy of compassion, one that shows us a way forward rooted in mercy, not fear.

We need that kind of leadership heading into these next four years. We need that kind of hope.

Sienna Walenciak is a college student and a volunteer with the Televerde Foundation, an Arizona-based organization dedicated to second chances for justice-involved women. She is also a fall intern with the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing the business community to advance fair and effective justice policies.