Chief Probation Officers from throughout California are sounding the alarm about the state budget’s failure to fund critical components of Proposition 36, while simultaneously cutting existing probation supervision resources in SB 678 and Pretrial monitoring. 

At this press conference along with Sheriffs, District Attorney’s and Victims Advocates, CPOC President Chief Steve Jackson stated:

“Probation ensures people stay on track with their treatment plans and court orders, and holds them accountable when they don’t. This budget significantly cuts Probation funding at the exact moment we’re being asked to do more. That means less people will follow through with rehabilitation and that threatens public safety.”

Read ABC 10’s story: 

Supporters say Prop 36 risks failure without more state funding

Probation Chiefs have been sounding the alarm on cuts to probation and no funding for accountability in Prop 36, since the Governor released his May Revise Budget. In response to the Governor’s May Revise—which provided absolutely no funding to implement Prop 36 and proposed a $20 million cut to pretrial services—CPOC President Chief Steve Jackson stated:

“The Governor’s budget not only fails to add dedicated funding for Proposition 36—it actually cuts funds currently being used to implement it. This forces counties to do more with less, undermining public safety and making it harder for people to access the accountable drug treatment voters overwhelmingly supported. Probation departments remain committed to meaningful change, but we need the state to stop cutting essential funding and start investing in the outcomes Californians expect and communities deserve.”

Roughly a month later, the Legislature passed a Legislative Budget Agreement that included modest - but largely misdirected – funding for Proposition 36. However, it still failed to fund the measure’s core component: supervision and accountability for court-mandated treatment completion. That budget also included a $25 million ongoing cut to SB 678 felony supervision funding and continued a $5 million cut to pretrial services.

In response to the Legislative Budget Agreement, Chief Jackson said:

“Let’s just talk about what the real facts are: the key to Prop 36’s success is supervision and accountability. This budget cuts funding of our existing probation resources in pretial and felony supervision while expecting probation to take on more responsibility. The result will be a further strain on public safety and treatment success drops. We urge state leaders to do what the voters have asked for,” Jackson said.   

Although the legislative budget includes one-time funds for Prop 36-related services, it does not allocate funding for the local supervision and accountability systems necessary to ensure long-term rehabilitation and reduced recidivism. Probation departments—already working under strained resources—are being asked to manage an increase in felony cases stemming from Prop 36, while taking cuts to their essential funding. 

The ongoing cuts to probation funding for pretrial services and SB 678 felony supervision and treatment put communities at risk by reducing probation officers’ ability to provide the structure, monitoring, and rehabilitative support proven to improve lives, reduce crime, and lower incarceration rates.