Newsom says he will commute all 548 of California's death sentences to life without parole

PBS NewsHour · Kim Chandler; David Fischer; Associated Press · 2026-11-05 20:07 UTC

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he’ll change all death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he'll change all death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Newsom's decision comes as he prepares to leave office after eight years. In 2019, he placed a moratorium on executions in the state but hundreds of people remained on death row. There are currently 548 people on the state's death row.

"I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us," Newsom said in a letter.

Read the full story at PBS NewsHour · All coverage of this story