On November 5, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the commutation of all death sentences imposed in the state to life imprisonment without parole.
In a statement posted online, Newsom said, “I have decided to exercise my constitutional powers and commute all death sentences in California to life in prison without the right to parole.”
According to Newsom, the decision was the result of almost 30 years of consistent struggle against the death penalty, which he led throughout his political career. The governor clarified that 548 individuals are currently sentenced to death in California — the largest number of prisoners awaiting execution among all countries in the Western hemisphere.
