I don’t know if you can refuse a pardon. A governor(?), I don’t think it was Biden, gave pardons or commutations to some Death Row inmates and got them down to “life”.
Two of them are having their lawyers try to stop it. They are on a list to have their cases looked over again as they claim their innocence. Death Row inmate’s cases are put to the head of the line. They will be sent farther down on the list of reviews if they are off Death Row. (They have already been waiting for years.)
From what I read earlier tonight, you have to accept the pardon or it’s no good.