Press
Drop LWOP Coalition Press Release, September 10, 2021
Give Stanley Bernard a Chance for Parole
Executive Order Halts the Death Penalty. Now Let’s Drop LWOP!
On March 13, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his decision to halt the execution of 737 people sentenced to death in California prisons. [Read Full Message from CURB]
Jerry Brown—most forgiving governor in modern California history
BY Ben Christopher
December 24, 2018 Updated JUNE 23, 2020
Since 2011, Brown has pardoned 1,332 inmates, nearly four times more than the previous four governors combined. It’s also more than three times as many pardons as Brown issued during his first stint as governor between 1975 and 1983.
Drop LWOP Rally 2018
On Monday, August 6th, 2018, CCWP joined CURB and many other organizations to deliver the letter below to Governor Brown asking him to change all LWOP sentences to parole-eligible sentences (over 100 organizations signed the letter!). We also held a powerful rally on the steps of the capitol to join forces in our fight against LWOP and all extreme sentencing.
DROP LWOP Rally KPFA, The Pacifica Evening News, August 6, 2018
California Felony-Murder Law Challenge Backed by Ninth
August 8, 2018 NINTH CIRCUIT
[The Courts] ruling struck down a federal law, part of the Armed Career Criminal Act, that increased punishment for any felon convicted of being armed and committing a crime that “presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.” [Read More]
California Coalition for Women Prisoners’ Response to Governor’s Holiday Commutations
On Saturday, December 23, 2017, Governor Brown granted nineteen commutations.
Of the nineteen commutations, four are women serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) sentences and five are men serving LWOP. Two of the women, Kelly Savage and Susan Bustamante, are long-time members of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP).
THE MORAL PROBLEM OF LIFE-WITHOUT-PAROLE SENTENCES
By Brandon L. Garrett TIME Magazine, October 26, 2017
Only about 2,800 U.S. prisoners are on death row today, and only 31 were sentenced to death last year — which is remarkable. In the 1990s, death rows reached over 3,500 prisoners; several hundred were sentenced to death each year. This is a cause for celebration. But we should think carefully about what we have largely replaced death row with: life row.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR COMMUTES 9 LENGTHY PRISON SENTENCES
USNEWS, August 18, 2017
California Gov. Jerry Brown has commuted the lengthy prison sentences of nine inmates serving time for violent crimes, including six people convicted of murder.
News and Updates
2021 DROP LWOP STRATEGY WEEK
This October 16th-23rd the Drop LWOP Coalition is hosting an online Strategy Week to bring together organizers dedicated to ending Life Without Parole. The week will be a mix of information sharing and brainstorming so we can build on the momentum of the past two years since our L.A. Strategy Session in 2019 and work together to accelerate concrete plans […]READ MORE 2021 DROP LWOP STRATEGY WEEK
STRATEGY SESSION
Sept 14-15, 2019 Los Angeles On the weekend of September 14-15, over 125 people gathered at the beautiful Community Coalition building in South L.A. to strategize about how to end Life Without Parole and all extreme sentencing in California. The convening was initiated by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), Californians United for a […]READ MORE STRATEGY SESSION
GOV NEWSOM LAUNCHES NEW COMMUTATION SITE
Governor Newsom has released new commutation information: https://www.gov.ca.gov/commutations/READ MORE GOV NEWSOM LAUNCHES NEW COMMUTATION SITE
EXECUTIVE ORDER HALTS DEATH PENALTY
On March 13, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his decision to halt the execution of 737 people sentenced to death in California prisons. This moratorium on capital punishment acknowledges the significant racial, economic, gender and disability disparities in death penalty sentencing and is an important step toward justice. California has the highest prison population in […]READ MORE EXECUTIVE ORDER HALTS DEATH PENALTY
DROP LWOP COALITION 