California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that he is commuting all 548 death sentences in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The move clears the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere in what the Death Penalty Information Center calls the largest mass commutation in American history.
The commutations do not free anyone, overturn any conviction or repeal the death penalty. Every one of the 548 people — 529 men and 19 women — will instead spend the rest of their lives in prison, and restitution orders against them remain in place.
Why most commutations still need a court’s approval
The commutations are not all final yet. About a third can take effect on Newsom’s own authority after a 10-day notice period for victims’ families and district attorneys, while the other two-thirds require review by the California Supreme Court.
Under the state Constitution, the court must approve clemency for anyone convicted of more than one felony, which covers 382 of the 548 cases. Four of the court’s seven justices must sign off, and no timeline for that review has been announced, as CNN reported.
| California death row | Figure |
|---|---|
| Death sentences commuted | 548 |
| Men | 529 |
| Women | 19 |
| Cases needing Supreme Court review | 382 |
| Share of all US death sentences | About a quarter |
| Last execution in California | 17 January 2006 |
| Executions in California since 1976 | 13 |
A moratorium that became a commutation
Newsom, a long-time opponent of the death penalty, imposed a moratorium on executions shortly after taking office in 2019. California has not executed anyone since 17 January 2006, and only five people received death sentences in 2025, down from 42 in 1999.
In an open letter to Californians, Newsom wrote that he was acting because he firmly believes “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system and diminishes each of us.” He acknowledged that the power to repeal the death penalty rests with the Legislature and voters, who kept it in place in 2012 and 2016.
The governor’s office said the commutations take effect once the necessary legal steps are completed. The death penalty stays on the books, and prosecutors can still seek it in new cases.
Who is on California’s death row
The condemned population includes some of the state’s most notorious killers. Among them are serial killer Randy Kraft, known as the “Southern California Strangler”; Charles Ng, convicted of killing 11 people in California in the 1980s; and Richard Allen Davis, who kidnapped and killed 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1993.
As of April this year, 68% of the people under a death sentence in California were defendants of color, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. The centre’s figures also show California holding about a quarter of all death sentences in the United States.
The decision drew swift and sharp criticism from district attorneys, law enforcement and advocates of homicide victims. Once the commutations take effect, Florida would hold the largest death row in the country.
An outgoing governor’s final major act
The commutation is one of Newsom’s last major acts as governor. He is barred by term limits from seeking a third term and leaves office in January, when Xavier Becerra, who won the governor’s race in the Democrats’ midterm sweep on Tuesday, is sworn in as California’s first Latino elected governor.
Becerra, 68, a former state attorney general and US health secretary, defeated Republican Steve Hilton with about 64% of the vote. He takes office on 4 January 2027, and the commutations already granted will stand regardless of who holds the governor’s office.
Newsom is widely discussed as a possible candidate for president in 2028. The commutation, like Nithya Raman’s win in the Los Angeles mayoral race, underlines how far California’s politics have moved in a week that redrew the state’s leadership.
Newsom death row commutation: your questions answered
What did Gavin Newsom do? On Thursday, 5 November 2026, he commuted all 548 death sentences in California to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the largest mass commutation in US history.
Does this abolish the death penalty in California? No. The death penalty remains on the statute books, and prosecutors can still seek it in new cases. The commutations apply only to sentences already in place.
When do the commutations take effect? About a third take effect after a 10-day notice period. The other 382 cases need approval from the California Supreme Court, and no timeline for that review has been announced.
Will anyone be released? No. The commutations change the punishment to life without parole. Convictions stand, no pardons were granted, and restitution orders remain in place, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.
What happens when Newsom leaves office? Xavier Becerra is sworn in as governor on 4 January 2027. Commutations that have taken effect stand, but a future governor could lift the execution moratorium for any new death sentences.
