Newsom to commute sentences of all 548 California death row inmates to life

California Governor Newsom is commuting the sentences of all 548 death row inmates to life in prison, Sky News reported. He made the announcement as he prepares to leave office after eight years in power. In a letter announcing the move, Newsom said: “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.”

The state constitution requires the California Supreme Court’s approval to grant clemency to anyone convicted of a felony more than once. According to Newsom’s office, the court would have to approve 382 commutations, or roughly 70%. California has the Western Hemisphere’s largest death row, with 529 men and 19 women. No one has been executed in the state since 2006.

ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said: “These commutations reflect what justice demands: an end to a racist, error-prone, and inhumane punishment that has burdened California for far too long.”