SACRAMENTO
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the commutation of all 548 death sentences in California, reducing every inmate on the state's death row to life in prison without parole.
California holds the largest death row population in the Western Hemisphere. Newsom's decision caps months of deliberation and comes as the nation's capital punishment debate intensifies.
Newsom called the death penalty a "failure" and "immoral," arguing the state should not "murder somebody." He cited unequal application of the punishment and said the choice aligns with his personal values and faith.
The governor had signaled his intentions on his podcast last month, framing the decision as a "rocking chair test"—how he would view the action in hindsight. He announced the commutations days after the election.
This move builds on a 2019 moratorium Newsom issued two months into his tenure as governor. That decision halted all executions statewide. The state's execution chamber at San Quentin prison was dismantled, and death row inmates were transferred to other maximum-security facilities.
California has not carried out an execution in 20 years. No executions were scheduled for the foreseeable future, making the commutation largely symbolic.
The governor's action does not eliminate the death penalty in California. Only voters can abolish capital punishment through a ballot measure.
Newsom met extensively with crime victims before the 2019 moratorium and again in recent months as he weighed the commutations. He described those conversations as "very hard" and "very raw." The impact on victims remains central to the political fight over the death penalty.
The decision could embolden death penalty opponents to push other governors for similar action.
