California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences for all 548 individuals currently on the state's death row. The action, taken on Friday, means that while the individuals remain convicted of murder, their sentences are now life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
This move effectively halts all executions in the state. California has historically held the largest death row population in the United States. The governor's office stated that the commutation is effective immediately.
Newsom previously imposed a moratorium on executions in March 2019, halting all death penalty operations in the state. This latest action permanently ends the death penalty sentences for those currently incarcerated on death row, though it does not overturn their convictions.