NO on Prop 36: Increase Penalties For Theft And Drug Trafficking.

Prop 36 would erode criminal justice reform in California by reversing key advances aimed at reducing mass incarceration and promoting rehabilitation. It would impose stricter sentencing laws that disproportionately impact people of color and those with low-income, exacerbating existing racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal justice system. Harsher sentencing for minor offenses, like drug possession and retail theft, would take California back to the days when we had unconstitutionally overcrowded prisons. The increased penalties are draconian.  For example, if someone gives or sells a controlled substance like psychedelic mushrooms or peyote to someone who suffers a major injury from using it, they could be sentenced to state prison instead of county jail and required to serve a longer term.

By shifting money from treatment and rehabilitation to prisons, Prop 36 would undermine programs that reduce recidivism and support reintegration into society. Emphasizing punishment over rehabilitation detracts from effective and humane criminal justice policies, and increased incarceration rates will lead to higher costs for taxpayers without improving public safety. Prop 36 would perpetuate a cycle of incarceration by reducing mental health and substance use disorder treatment, victim services, reentry assistance, programs to prevent school truancy and dropout, and crime prevention programs that prevent recidivism.

Vote NO on Proposition 36