Rally Celebrates Program Success on "Prop. 36 Graduates Day"

Hundreds of graduates and supporters of California’s six-year-old, treatment-instead-of-incarceration program gathered at the State Capitol Building on April 18, 2007, for the second annual “Prop. 36 Works!” rally and to celebrate the program’s 70,000 graduates. In support of the grads, the day was declared “Prop. 36 Graduates Day” in the state as well as in the counties of Los Angeles and San Diego.

The event celebrated the overwhelming successes of Prop. 36 and the day’s theme “Building the Chain of Recovery” drew attention to the positive and contagious nature of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Secretary of State, Deborah Bowen, spoke to the crowd about the importance of recovery and of continuing Prop. 36. Senator Carole Migden and Assembly Member Jim Beall, Jr. also came to show their support and to congratulate the grads on their success.

Assembly Budget Committee Chairman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, also spoke to the crowd, saying that funding is especially crucial in a year when Schwarzenegger is proposing $10.9 billion in spending to expand the state's prisons and jails by 78,000 beds.

In further support, Senator Scott and Assembly Member Leno jointly declared April 18, 2007, "Prop. 36 Graduates Day" and their staff presented awards to several strong organizers. We in turn presented Assembly Member Leno with an award for all of his support for the program. Community support came from the Beacon House Association of San Pedro, the Alpha Project of San Diego, A New PATH (Parents for Addiction and Healing), the Coalition for Effective Public Safety, Progressive Christians Uniting, California Coalition of Churches, All of Us or None, and the recovery community statewide.