Gov. Newsom to Commute All 548 California Death Sentences to Life Without Parole
Governor cites conscience and moral opposition to state-sanctioned killing in open letter to Californians
Sacramento — California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he will commute the death sentences of all 548 people currently on the state’s death row, converting them to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In an open letter addressed to Californians, Newsom described the decision as one of the most difficult of his political career. He said he was compelled to follow his conscience and act for the welfare of the state.
“I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us,” Newsom wrote. “I know we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, first among them justice and human decency.”
The governor said he considered limiting the commutations to certain categories of cases but ultimately decided to apply the same relief to every condemned person. “These offenders will die in prison but not by our hand,” he stated.
Of the 548 inmates, 529 are men and 19 are women. Under the California Constitution, commutations for individuals with more than one felony conviction require a recommendation from the state Supreme Court with the concurrence of at least four justices. Newsom has submitted approximately 382 such cases to the court and can grant the remaining commutations directly through his clemency authority.
California has not carried out an execution since 2006. Shortly after taking office in 2019, Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions and ordered the dismantling of the lethal injection chamber at San Quentin State Prison. The death penalty remains on the books, and prosecutors may still seek it in future cases.
Newsom’s decision does not repeal capital punishment in California. Voters have repeatedly rejected efforts to abolish it, most recently in 2016. The move is expected to draw sharp criticism from victims’ rights advocates while being welcomed by opponents of the death penalty, who describe it as the largest mass clemency action in modern U.S. history.
Registered victims and survivors will be notified as the commutations take effect. Newsom is in the final months of his second term and has been widely discussed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.