Gavin Newsom Has Commuted the Largest Death Row in the Western Hemisphere
As one of his final acts in office, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has commuted the sentences of all 548 people sentenced to death in California to life without the possibility of parole—a quarter of the death row prisoners in the United States—he announced in a November 5 letter. California has not executed anyone since 2006, […]
California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken his final legislative step by commuting the death sentences of all 548 individuals on California's death row, making it the largest such release in the Western Hemisphere. This action comes as executions have been effectively halted in California since 2006, following Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger's tenure.
Newsom's decision stems from his belief that state-sanctioned killing contradicts California's values, undermines the legal system, and diminishes society. His commutations, which require individual court approval, do not permanently abolish the death penalty in the state, as California remains one of 27 states maintaining capital punishment.
The United States executes a limited number of individuals annually, with 33 so far in 2026. According to Amnesty International, only 17 countries, including the US, carried out executions in 2025. Increasingly unpopular, executions are also costly when compared to other punishments. Despite this, the current administration has advocated for an expansion of capital punishment, including federal firing squads and the possibility of livestreaming executions.
However, the majority of death row inmates are held at the state level, where governors like Newsom hold the power to grant clemency. Newsom stated, "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."
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
