California weighs ending death penalty for 563 inmates, replacing it with life without parole

Governor Gavin Newsom is considering legislation that would eliminate the death penalty for 563 prisoners in California, substituting life imprisonment without parole. The measure has been on the ballot twice, narrowly missing approval in 2012 and 2016. Newsom describes capital punishment as ineffective, irreversible and immoral, noting its disproportionate use against Hispanic, Black and impoverished defendants.

California has not carried out an execution since 2006, and five death-row inmates were exonerated between 1973 and 2019. In 2021, the governor ordered the dismantling of San Quentin’s death-row block, moving inmates—including serial killers like Joseph Naso and controversial cases such as Kevin Cooper—to other prisons. Advocates warn the system has produced wrongful convictions, while supporters argue the change would address racial and economic inequities.