The Facts about Proposition 36
Why California Needs Prop 36
California is suffering from a continued explosion in crime and trafficking of deadly hard drugs like fentanyl because the people committing these crimes do not face serious consequences.
Passed in 2014, Proposition 47 reduced theft and hard drug possession penalties. While it made some progress in our justice system, it led to unintended consequences like increased repeat and often organized retail theft, store closings, locked-up items, and difficulty convincing people to seek drug and mental health treatment.
Prop 36 will create real accountability for those habitually breaking these laws and making our communities less safe.
California is suffering from a continued explosion in crime and trafficking of deadly hard drugs like fentanyl because the people committing these crimes do not face serious consequences.
Passed in 2014, Proposition 47 reduced theft and hard drug possession penalties. While it made some progress in our justice system, it led to unintended consequences like increased repeat and often organized retail theft, store closings, locked-up items, and difficulty convincing people to seek drug and mental health treatment.
Prop 36 will create real accountability for those habitually breaking these laws and making our communities less safe.
VOTERS CAN MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER
BY PASSING PROP 36 AND HOLDING REPEAT OFFENDERS ACCOUNTABLE
Prop 36 is a balanced approach that is supported by Democrats, Independents, Republicans, small businesses, local elected leaders, law enforcement, social justice organizations, and crime victims and drug survivor advocates
Prop 36 creates effective tools to hold individuals accountable for repeat retail theft and fentanyl trafficking while incentivizing treatment for those suffering from addiction to hard drugs
Prop 36 Creates Tougher Penalties for Serial Retail Theft and Smash-and-Grabs
- Increases penalties for smash-and-grab crimes
- Creates tougher penalties and better accountability for repeat retail theft offenders
- Allows stolen property values from multiple thefts to be combined, countering tactics by career thieves who steal repeatedly to avoid harsher penalties
Prop 36 Confronts the Fentanyl Crisis in Our Communities
- Enacts stricter penalties for drug dealers whose trafficking causes death or serious injury, allowing potential murder charges if it results in fatalities
- Ensures fentanyl is treated like heroin, cocaine, PCP and methamphetamine when offenders possess a firearm
- Toughens penalties for selling large quantities of fentanyl
Prop 36 Incentivizes Drug and Mental Health Treatment
- Restores incentives for people to utilize drug courts that mandate treatment
- Creates a “treatment-mandated felony” where individuals with two or more prior hard drug possession convictions can undergo drug and mental health treatment instead of going to jail
- Allows individuals who successfully complete treatment to avoid jail time and expunge their records
