🔶 The governor of California commuted the sentence of hundreds of death row inmates to life imprisonment.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of 548 inmates on the state's death row to life in prison.
In his address to all California residents, while announcing the change of the death sentences of these 548 prisoners to life imprisonment, he clarified: "I am taking this action because I strongly believe that killing by order of the government is not compatible with California values."
California has the highest number of inmates on death row in the United States, yet the state has not carried out a death sentence in 20 years. Therefore, the action of the governor of California is considered a symbolic step.
Newsom imposed a temporary moratorium on executions in the state in 2019.
The decision of the governor of California to change the death penalty to life imprisonment is also considered a political message to Donald Trump, the president of the United States, who is one of the supporters of the death penalty. Newsom has long been considered one of the possible candidates of the US Democratic Party for the US presidential election in 2028.
After serving two terms as governor of California, he is not allowed to run for this position again.