California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered the commutation of death sentences for all 548 inmates on the state’s death row, marking the largest mass clemency action in United States history.
Under the decision, the inmates will serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole instead of facing execution.
Newsom said the death penalty goes against California’s values, weakens the foundations of the justice system, and raises serious concerns about state-sanctioned killings.
Although California has not carried out an execution in the past 20 years, the death penalty remains part of state law.
Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center survey released in August showed that 66 percent of Americans still support capital punishment for people convicted of murder.
However, around 73 percent also acknowledged the possibility of an innocent person being wrongfully executed.
At least 23 U.S. states have already abolished the death penalty, while several others have effectively stopped carrying out executions.
In contrast, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push for wider use of capital punishment for serious federal crimes, including the possible use of firing squads.
(Photo Courtesy: Al Jazeera)
