ACLU Backs Governor Newsom’s Plan to Commute Death Sentences in California
The ACLU has announced its support for Governor Newsom's plan to commute all death sentences in California to life imprisonment without parole.
Eureka, CA, November 5, 2026 — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has publicly declared its support for Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to commute all death sentences currently on California’s death row to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The announcement signifies a key endorsement for the Governor’s long-standing opposition to capital punishment in the state. Governor Newsom previously imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019, placing a hold on the state’s death penalty system.
The ACLU’s backing aligns with the organization’s broader mission advocating for criminal justice reform and the abolition of the death penalty. The proposed commutation would affect hundreds of individuals currently awaiting execution in California. The specific details of the plan, as supported by the ACLU, involve changing the sentence from death to life imprisonment without parole, a sentence that mandates individuals serve their entire lives in prison without the chance of release.
The contractor’s name involved in implementing this commutation was not provided in the available information. The timeline for the full implementation of this commutation, beyond the existing moratorium, was also not specified. The ACLU’s statement of support indicates a unified front with the Governor’s office on this particular aspect of criminal justice policy. Further details regarding the process and legal mechanisms for carrying out the commutations were not made available in the provided summary.
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