Prosecutors Vow to Keep Pursuing Death Penalty in California NYT - Home Page By: Tim Arango and Laurel Rosenhall 7 November 2026 at 00:57 Unless the next governor, Xavier Becerra, keeps commuting sentences, Californiaβs death row is likely to slowly repopulate in the coming years. Β© Eric Risberg/Associated PressDeath row inmates used to be held together at the San Quentin state prison, but they have since been transferred to other state facilities and moved into the general population.