California governor commutes death sentences for all 548 people on death row
California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 inmates on the state's death row to life without parole. Newsom cited moral objections to state-sanctioned killing as the primary driver for the decision.
Why it matters
Represents a major shift in criminal justice policy in the most populous US state, with potential implications for national political discourse.
Image source, Getty Images By Nardine Saad Reporting from Los Angeles Published 5 November 2026, 19:43 GMT Updated 3 minutes ago California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on death row in the state, changing them instead with life in prison.
"We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honour the victims," he said in a letter.
The decision to spare death row inmates is largely symbolic in a state that has not executed a prisoner since 2006, though experts say it could save millions of dollars in court costs each year. Only 13 inmates have been killed since voters reinstated the death penalty in 1978.
The decision comes as Newsom, the Democratic leader of the most populous US state, has been discussed as a possible 2028 contender for president.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom Commutes All Death Sentences to Life Imprisonment
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