ICYMI: ABC 10 – Supporters say Prop 36 risks failure without more state funding
Supporters of Prop 36 say it promised safer streets and treatment, but without more funding, the law may fail to deliver what voters overwhelmingly approved.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A sweeping public safety measure overwhelmingly approved by California voters could falter, supporters warn, unless the state commits more money to make it work.
At a Capitol rally Wednesday, sheriffs, probation officials and bipartisan lawmakers called on state leaders to boost funding for Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime initiative passed by nearly 70% of voters last November…
The current budget proposal…falls short, especially for probation departments tasked with ensuring offenders follow court-ordered treatment plans.
“California voters want accountability and that just doesn’t include arresting and the booking process in jail,” said Steve Jackson, San Joaquin County’s Chief Probation Officer. “To have that full picture, you have to have the treatment and you have to have the accountability and the supervision behind it.”
Prop 36 allows judges to mandate treatment and gives prosecutors more leeway to file certain drug and theft cases as felonies. Supporters argue it strikes a needed balance between enforcement and rehabilitation…
You can read the full story on ABC 10
