California to hold vote on abolition of death penalty

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The Telegraph:

California is to hold a referendum on whether to abolish the death penalty and spare the lives of 723 death row inmates, nearly one quarter of all those facing execution in America.

 

By Nick Allen, Los Angeles

5:24PM BST 24 Apr 2012

 

 

The vote will take place alongside political elections in November after more than 500,000 people in the state signed a petition asking for the issue to be added to the ballot.

 

 

California is the state with the highest number of prisoners awaiting execution, and its San Quentin prison houses the largest death row facility in the [u.S.A.].

 

 

Under the proposal being voted on those currently sentenced to death would have their terms commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. They would have to get jobs in jail with their wages going to victims.

 

It would make California the 18th state not to have capital punishment.

 

 

Five states - Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, Illinois and New York - have eliminated it in the last five years. Oregon's governor recently said he would halt all executions during his time in office.

 

[EXCERPTED from article at the above link]

 

 

 

 

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