<\/p>\n
The Lethal Injection Facility at San Quentin State Prison. California must commute remaining death sentences to life without parole to protect human dignity, align with restorative justice and make the moratorium permanent.<\/p>\n
Manny Crisostomo<\/p>\n
mcrisostomo@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
During Holy Week, as Christians recall how a public change of heart led to what we consider to be the ultimate sacrifice in a state-sanctioned execution, it is a fitting moment to reflect on how justice is carried out today.<\/p>\n
California holds the largest death row population in the nation<\/a>, with hundreds of men and women still living under a sentence of death. Yet our state has not carried out an execution in years and has already begun moving toward a more humane vision of justice.<\/p>\n In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on executions<\/a> and dismantled the death chamber at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Under his leadership, California has also begun implementing the California Model<\/a> within its correctional system \u2014 an approach that prioritizes accountability, rehabilitation and restorative justice. These actions represent an important shift in how our state understands justice and public safety.<\/p>\n But one decisive step remains: Hundreds of individuals remain on death row. As long as their sentences stand, the machinery of capital punishment remains intact, waiting only for a future governor to potentially revive it.<\/p>\n We urge Newsom to commute all death sentences within his authority \u2014 those involving a single felony conviction \u2014 to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and to petition the California Supreme Court to approve the commutation of the remaining sentences so that California\u2019s progress toward a more just system cannot easily be reversed.<\/p>\n For more than four decades, the Catholic bishops of the United States have called for an end to the death penalty<\/a> because it is incompatible with respect for the dignity of the human person. That belief flows from the Gospel itself: Every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and that dignity is never lost \u2014 even after the commission of serious crimes.<\/p>\n Today, there is growing recognition that the death penalty does not accomplish what justice truly requires. It does not restore victims. It does not rehabilitate offenders. It does not strengthen communities. Instead, it perpetuates a cycle of violence that leaves wounds unhealed.<\/p>\n The Catholic Church teaches clearly that the death penalty is no longer morally acceptable.<\/p>\n As St. John Paul II wrote, \u201cmodern society in fact has the means of effectively suppressing crime by rendering criminals harmless without definitively denying them the chance to reform\u201d (Evangelium Vitae, 56<\/a>).<\/p>\n Modern systems of detention can protect the public while preserving the possibility of redemption. For this reason, the church teaches that the death penalty is \u201cinadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person\u201d (CCC, 2267<\/a>).<\/p>\n This approach also opens the door to restorative justice \u2014 a path that aims to address the harm more fully. It brings victims, offenders and communities together to confront the wrongdoing, foster accountability and pursue healing whenever possible.<\/p>\n Just as Palm Sunday\u2019s hosannas give way to the cries for crucifixion, yet lead to the promise of resurrection and new life, our justice system can also move beyond retribution towards mercy, healing and the opportunity for transformation.<\/p>\n Commuting death sentences does not mean ignoring the suffering caused by crime. Victims and their families carry burdens that often last a lifetime, and their pain must never be minimized. True justice requires that we listen to them, accompany them with compassion and ensure that their voices are heard. A just system must honor both accountability and the enduring needs of those who have been harmed.<\/p>\n