- “Prop 36 is straining our community and state budgets in a time of unprecedented financial uncertainty, without improving community safety or public health.” – Claire Simonich, associate director of Vera California
- “Proponents of Proposition 36 said the measure would result in millions of Californians finally getting the treatment they desperately need. They lied.” – Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – One year after Proposition 36 went into effect, the Prosecutors Alliance and criminal justice reform advocates say the ballot measure has failed to deliver on promises of safety, accountability, and mass treatment—charging instead that it is fueling incarceration, straining local budgets, and deepening racial disparities across California.
The measure’s supporters, including the Yolo County District Attorney, counter that Prop 36 is providing accountability and treatment options and has produced positive local outcomes.
A new report from the Vera Institute of Justice and a preliminary data analysis from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Californians for Safety and Justice, and UC Berkeley researchers show increasing arrests, longer sentences, and rising jail and prison populations statewide…