Calif. death row inmates sentenced in region have waited an average of 21 years
By Hattie Xu, Sacramento Bee
While the state of Arkansas made news earlier this year when it executed four inmates in eight days, California has not seen an execution since 2006, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Of the 123 deaths of inmates who were on California’s death row since 1978, just 15 were from execution, according to data from CDCR. A majority – 60 percent – died of natural causes, while another 20 percent committed suicide.
On average, inmates who were sentenced in the Sacramento region — which includes El Dorado and Placer counties — have waited on death row for 21 years, according to data from CDCR. Sixty-six percent of them have waited for more than 20 years. While two inmates were condemned to death just three years ago, one – Joe Johnson – has been waiting for 36 years.