Mental Health America of California (MHAC) proudly joins over 112 organizations (see Attachment 1) in urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to commute the sentences of the more than 600 individuals on death row. In 2019, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-09-19, establishing a moratorium on the death penalty during his term in office. With his term nearing its end, the moratorium will also expire.
A third of those on California’s death row have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, underscoring the urgent need to address a deeply flawed system that fails to guarantee justice and fairness for all.[1] The death penalty neither rehabilitates individuals nor offers opportunities for reparations. Its inequitable application disproportionately impacts people with serious mental illness, as well as Hispanic and Black or African American individuals, who are sentenced to death at higher rates.
The 2021 Death Penalty Report from the CA Committee on Revision of the Penal Code recommends not only commuting existing death sentences but also abolishing the death penalty altogether. MHAC remains steadfast in its commitment to justice, especially for those who are incarcerated and living with a serious mental illness. Call on Gov. Newsom to act now! If you would like to add your name or organization to the list of supporters, please visit https://clemencyca.org/join/ to sign on.