A recent poll con­duct­ed by David Binder Research found strong sup­port for com­mut­ing all of the sen­tences of California​’s 712 death row inmates to life in prison with­out parole and requr­ing them to pay resti­tu­tion to the vic­tims’ fam­i­lies. Of the 800 vot­ers sur­veyed, 63% sup­port­ed the com­mu­ta­tions, which would save the state $1 bil­lion over five years. California cur­rent­ly faces a $13 bil­lion bud­get gap. Voters from across the polit­i­cal spec­trum favored the idea of com­mut­ing all the state’s death sen­tences and putting the mon­ey saved towards pub­lic edu­ca­tion and law enforce­ment. Support was high­est among inde­pen­dents (70%), fol­lowed by Democrats at 64% and Republicans at 58%. The pro­pos­al was also pop­u­lar through­out the state, with Bay Area vot­ers express­ing the most sup­port (70%).

QUESTION  : California needs to close $13 bil­lion from the state bud­get. One idea being dis­cussed is for 

Governor Brown to con­vert the sen­tences of all 712 peo­ple on death row to a sen­tence of life 

impris­on­ment with­out any pos­si­bil­i­ty of parole, and require these inmates to work and pay 

resti­tu­tion to vic­tim fam­i­lies. This would save the state $1 bil­lion in five years, with­out releasing a 

sin­gle pris­on­er, and the mon­ey saved would be required to be used only for pub­lic education and 

law enforce­ment. Do you sup­port or oppose this idea? 

RESULTS  :

STRONGLY SUPPORT 40 

SOMEWHAT SUPPORT 23 — TOTAL SUPPORT →  63% 

SOMEWHAT OPPOSE 9 

STRONGLY OPPOSE 19 — TOTAL OPPOSE →  28% 

UNSURE /​DON’T KNOW 9 

California Governor Jerry Brown announced last week that he was can­celling plans to build a new death row. The deci­sion will save the state $356 mil­lion. In a press release, Brown said, ​“At a time when chil­dren, the dis­abled and seniors face painful cuts to essen­tial pro­grams, the State of California can­not jus­ti­fy a mas­sive expen­di­ture of pub­lic dol­lars for the worst crim­i­nals in our state. California will have to find anoth­er way to address the hous­ing needs of con­demned inmates. It would be uncon­scionable to ear­mark $356 mil­lion for a new and improved death row while mak­ing severe cuts to edu­ca­tion and pro­grams that serve the most vul­ner­a­ble among us.”

(“Voters From Across Political Spectrum Support Converting All Current Death Row Sentences to Save California $1 Billion Over Five Years,” David Binder Research, April 26, 2011; Office of Governor Jerry Brown, ​“Governor Brown Cancels Plan to Build New $356 Million Condemned Inmate Housing Facility at San Quentin,” April 28, 2011.) See Costs, Public Opinion, and California.

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