California Governor Commutes Death Sentences of All 548 Death Row Inmates

California Governor Gavin Newsom has changed the death sentences of all 548 people on the state's death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In a letter explaining the move, Newsom stated that state-sanctioned killing is against California values and that the death penalty system is a failure which cannot be fairly applied.

Background

California has the largest death row population in the United States. Although voters brought back the death penalty in 1978, only 13 inmates have been executed since then, and the state has not put a prisoner to death since 2006. Newsom had already placed a temporary stop on executions in 2019.

Context

Governors in the United States hold executive clemency powers that allow them to reduce sentences for convicted criminals within their state. While California moves away from capital punishment, federal executions have faced separate legal shifts under national leadership.