(Sacramento – March 13, 2019,) - Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee issued the following statement on Governor Newsom’s announcement on the death penalty:
“During my entire time in the California Legislature, I have been committed to insuring that our corrections system is both operating in the interest of justice and is an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. I welcome today’s announcement by Governor Newsom, as the death penalty has been a proven failure on both accounts.
“Time and again we have seen the death penalty fail to promote justice. Whether evaluating communities subject to over policing, discriminatory sentencing policies, or the use of new evidence to overturn past convictions, there are simply too many systemic concerns to support continued state-sponsored killings.
“Additionally, the death penalty has been a misuse of taxpayer dollars as the state spends billions fighting appeals, far more than is spent on incarceration for life sentences.
“We must remain steadfast in our commitment to real, impactful criminal justice reform. I am proud to stand with Governor Newsom in his bold decision to end the death penalty in our State.”
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Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. represents South Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone, Walnut Park, and a portion of Huntington Park. For more information about Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer, Sr., please visit https://a57.asmdc.org/