California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he is commuting the sentences of all 548 inmates on the state's death row, reducing each sentence to life in prison without parole.
Newsom, a Democrat, stated in an open letter to California residents that his decision stems from nearly three decades of opposition to capital punishment, which he finds morally objectionable.
He acknowledged the "indescribable suffering" caused to victims and their loved ones by those on death row but concluded that "the state cannot morally kill them." Newsom added that "state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of our legal system and diminishes each of us." He further articulated that the state cannot execute people within an imperfect legal system while remaining true to core values such as justice and human decency.
The governor's action marks a significant move regarding capital punishment in the state, commuting all existing death sentences.