After being approved by voters by a wide margin, Proposition 36 went into effect across California on Wednesday, which toughens penalties for certain theft and drug offenses.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said they would keep track of certain repeat offenses, as Prop. 36 goes into effect across California.
“As of today, we will be keeping track of people who begin to accumulate convictions for certain types of crimes,” explained San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “So, for a misdemeanor, petty theft, and for misdemeanor drug offenses.”
Jenkins says Prop 36 won’t change many day-to-day decisions in her office, at least not right away. The new law was primarily intended to curb retail theft.
It will require offenders to rack up some violations, so she says the real changes will come in time, when those offenders are back in court and prosecutors are trying to convince judges that multiple convictions require stiffer consequences.