Newsom Commutes Sentences for All 548 Inmates on California Death Row
The move, effective Thursday, replaces death sentences with life without parole and reduces the national death row population by nearly 30 percent.
By Giulia Marshall ·
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he will commute the sentences of all 548 people currently held on death row in the state. This action constitutes the largest mass clemency in United States history. The inmates will now serve life sentences without the possibility of parole. The state has not executed a prisoner in the past 20 years.
In an open letter, Newsom stated that he took this action because he firmly believes that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values. He argued that the practice undermines the foundations of the legal system and diminishes the state’s citizens. This decision follows a long history of legal appeals in death penalty cases, which often prevent execution.
Public opinion on capital punishment in the United States has shifted over time. Support has declined since the 1990s, though a majority still backs the penalty. A Pew Research Center poll released in August found that 66 percent of Americans supported the death penalty for those convicted of murder. However, roughly 73 percent of respondents acknowledged a risk of executing an innocent person.
The financial and ethical costs of the death penalty have drawn criticism from various groups. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, California has spent $6 billion on the death penalty since 1978. During that same period, the state carried out just 13 executions. The center also notes that at least 203 people wrongly convicted and sentenced to death have been exonerated since 1973.
Criminal justice organizations have praised the governor's decision as a step away from an outdated practice. Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, described the announcement as a decisive moment in the history of the death penalty in the United States. She noted that while other governors have granted universal clemencies, none have been at this scale.
Maher added that by starting his tenure with a moratorium and ending it with this mass clemency, Newsom has irrevocably changed California’s relationship with the death penalty. The DPIC noted that about two-thirds of these commutations require review by the California Supreme Court. State law mandates this review for individuals with multiple felony convictions before the commutations become final.
California previously served as a model for punitive criminal justice policies during the tough-on-crime era of the late 20th century. The state was among the first to pass three strikes laws in the early 1990s. Despite this history, Newsom’s decision will reduce the number of people on death row nationally by nearly 30 percent. The announcement came days after major Democratic victories in the US midterm elections.
Newsom has served as governor for nearly eight years and has reached the state's term limits. His second and final term ends in January 2027. He will be succeeded by former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on January 4. Newsom has increasingly dedicated time to supporting Democratic candidates in key races nationwide, positioning himself as a likely presidential contender.
