| Little
Hoover Commission Studies Prop. 36 |
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Thanks
to data-analysis requirements in
California's treatment-instead-of-incarceration
law, Proposition 36 is one of the
most researched sentencing reform
policies in the country's history.
The evidence is now being reviewed
by the Little
Hoover Commission, which will
publish a report later this year
with recommendations for improving
implementation of the six-year-old
program. For those who advocate
for policies based on evidence rather
than politics, this is welcome news.
[read
more] |
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| Prop.
36 Funding Survived Last Minute Budget
Cuts |
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On
Friday, August 24, after one of
the state’s longest budget
stalemates, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed California’s 2007-08
budget into law. Before signing,
the governor made good on his promise
to eliminate an additional $703
million from the budget by using
his "blue pencil" powers,
but left funding for Prop. 36 at
$120 million—the level approved
by the legislature.
[read
more] |
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| State
Budget Stalls, Leaving Prop. 36 Funding
in Limbo |
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At the
end of July, the California Senate
failed to pass a state budget approved
by the Assembly two weeks before.
Unable to reach agreement, the Senate
followed the Assembly on vacation
and is not expected to vote on the
budget until the legislative session
resumes on August 20. Until the legislature
passes and the governor signs a budget
in the fall, it is up to the counties
to provide funding—putting a
severe, short-term strain on all providers
who depend on county contracts to
provide Prop. 36 treatment. [read
more] |
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| Rally
Celebrates Program Success on "Prop.
36 Graduates Day" |
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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. See
more and pictures. |
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| California
Legislators Show Support for Treatment-not-Incarceration |
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In late
May, two California legislative subcommittees
sent a message of support for treatment
when they rejected Governor Schwarzenegger's
plans to slash funding for Prop. 36,
the state's voter-enacted, treatment-instead-of-incarceration
law. The six-year-old program makes
drug treatment available to tens of
thousands of people convicted of nonviolent
drug offenses each year and has already
saved taxpayers over $1.7 billion.
[read more] |
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Prison
Reformers Support Prop. 36 Treatment |
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On March
28, over 200 prison reform advocates
from around the state, including Prop.
36 participants and graduates, gathered
in Sacramento to call for continued
support for California’s treatment-instead-of-incarceration
law. [More] |
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| Prop.
36 Graduates and the Art Scene |
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In late
February, A New PATH (Parents for
Addiction Treatment & Healing)
and the San Diego Prop. 36 Alumni
Association hosted a Prop. 36 Art
Show at the San Diego Art Institute
in the city’s Balboa Park. The
show, opened by several community
leaders and a county representative,
featured artwork based on several
Prop. 36 graduates’ recovery
stories. Over 100 people attended
and the event got some local print
news coverage. [View
Photos] |
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| Governor
Proposes Slashing Funding -- Again |
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Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget
proposal, released January 10, recommends
a deep funding cut for California’s
landmark, voter-approved treatment-instead-of-jail
program, Proposition 36. Program supporters
worry that the governor’s budget,
if accepted by the Legislature, would
undermine the success of the program
and its 36,000 participants each year.
[More] |
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| Social
Justice Advocates Regroup |
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On
October 10, social justice advocates
and community members gathered to
discuss the state of social justice
reform in California. Over dinner,
about 25 advocates and community
members reassessed past failures
and looked toward next steps. The
refunding of Prop 36 in June 2007
surfaced as the movement's next
opportunity for victory. [More] |
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| Grads
Celebrate National Recovery Month
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In September,
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Recovery Month, Prop 36 participants
and grads around California got together
with others in recovery to celebrate.
From Sacramento to San Diego, grads
got together at picnics, baseball
games and walks for recovery. It started
out with a gathering of several thousand
people in Sacramento on August 1 and
is still going strong! See pictures
here. |
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| Prop
36 Cost-Savings Study Shows Huge Savings
for Taxpayers |
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A landmark
in the debate over the future of Proposition
36 came Wednesday, April 5, as UCLA
researchers released a major cost-savings
study of the drug treatment law enacted
by voters in November 2000. According
to the UCLA report, Prop. 36 saves
$2.50 for every dollar spent on average.
Using UCLA data, the Drug Policy Alliance
estimates total savings over the program's
first five years at $1.4 billion.
Read the presse release here
and the report here. |
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| April
18: Second Annual "Prop. 36 Works!"
Rally |
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In just
five years, Prop 36 has provided treatment
to over 140,000 people and saved the
state over $1.3 billion. Prop. 36
is a hugely successful program by
all of these measures, but it’s
not going to protect itself. If you
believe that treatment works, that
recovery happens and that treatment
works better than incarceration for
nonviolent drug offenders, join us
on April 18 in Sacramento! [More] |
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| Methamphetamine
Awareness Day |
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The
Department of Justice has declared
November 30 National Methamphetamine
Awareness Day. On this day, there
will be plenty of hyperbolic claims
about the drug and about its insurmountable
addiction. But what better way to
mark the occasion than to take a day
off from the hype? Instead, consider
the Prop. 36 evidence. [More] |
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| Prop.
36 Grads Speak to Legislators in Southern
California |
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On May
12, San Diego-area Prop. 36 grads
met with their legislators to ask
for their continued support of the
program. The grads shared their stories
in eight San Diego legislators’
offices. On May 19, grads in the greater
Los Angeles area will be doing the
same. Read more here.
See pictures here. |
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| Prop
36 Grads Flood State Capitol |
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Over
500 clients, graduates and supporters
of Proposition 36, California’s
treatment-instead-of-incarceration
law, rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday,
April 19, to celebrate five years
of the hugely successful program.
The rally comes after the recent release
of a series of reports highlighting
the success of the Prop 36. The group,
most of whom are in recovery instead
of jail thanks to Prop 36, represent
a handful of the more than 140,000
people who entered treatment through
the program in the last four years—and
some of the 60,000 who will have graduated
by July 1. Read more here. |
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| Institute
Says Prop 36 Led to Drug Possession
Incarceration Rate Decrease of 34
Percent |
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According
to a new report from the Justice Policy
Institute (JPI), “Proposition
36: Five Years Later,”drug treatment
legislation enacted in California
was followed by a greater decrease
in the number of individuals incarcerated
for drug possession and drug charges
than any other large state prison
system. Read more here
and the full report here.
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| State
Conference Pushes Best Practices |
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In October the California Department
of Alcohol and Drug Programs (DADP),
which administrates Prop. 36, brought
together county administrators and
treatment providers from across
the state to discuss the future
of Prop. 36. For the first time
in five years, they began to share
and promote best practices. Find
out why this is important here.
[More] |
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