PJI Supports California’s Brave Move to Commute its Entire Death Row
Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom demonstrated moral clarity and political courage by commuting the sentences of 548 people on California’s death row, the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere.
The Promise of Justice Initiative (PJI) applauds Newsom and California. Since PJI's inception, we have fought against Louisiana’s use of violence against its people. We oppose the death penalty because we are against killing people – whether through interpersonal violence or from our government.
The death penalty system isn't broken - it's indefensible. Around the country, in California and certainly in Louisiana, the death penalty is arbitrary, riddled with error, and obscenely expensive. Louisiana’s track record on the death penalty is abysmal. Eight in ten death sentences have been reversed because of issues at the trial court level – many of those issues being the person was innocent or the prosecutor hid evidence. Commuting death sentences is the smart, moral, and commonsense response to this disastrous system.
In California, victims’ families, prosecutors, former corrections professionals, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and business leaders expressed strong support for Governor Newsom’s landmark decision to commute all death sentences in California.
“I won't pretend I've always opposed the death penalty. I used to think the man who killed my sister deserved execution. But over time I've realized that whether he's executed has absolutely nothing to do with my recovery or with real public safety. The system tells survivors that execution matters to our healing. It doesn't. It's a distraction from what we actually need,” said Jess Nichol, whose sister Polly Klaas was killed. Klaas’s killer is among those whose death sentence will be commuted.
The sentiment that the death penalty serves no legitimate public safety purpose was echoed in a February letter addressed to Governor Newsom and signed by 21 former corrections officials, who also raised concerns about the toll the death penalty takes on corrections officers.
Governor Newsom becomes the latest of more than half a dozen U.S. governors who have granted mass clemency in their states in recent years. His announcement follows months of advocacy by murder victims’ family members, former corrections professionals, and former prosecutors, as well as faith, business, and civil rights leaders who called on him to act before leaving office. Read letters they sent to Governor Newsom.
In recent weeks, Louisiana’s Governor Landry, AG Murrill, and East Baton Rouge DA Moore have all indicated that they want to restart executions after having gassed Jessie Hoffman to death in 2025. We encourage Governor Landry to embrace the opportunity he has right now to choose life over death and lead Louisiana with moral clarity and political courage.
Congratulations California.
Samantha Kennedy
Executive Director
Promise of Justice Initiative