WHAT IS PROPOSITION 57?
Proposition 57 – the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016 – focuses resources on keeping dangerous criminals behind bars, while rehabilitating juvenile and adult inmates and saving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. Specifically, here’s what it does:
Why Does California Need This Initiative?
- Saves taxpayer dollars by reducing wasteful spending on prisons.
- Keeps the most dangerous offenders locked up.
- Allows parole consideration for people with non-violent convictions who complete the full prison term for their primary offense.
- Authorizes a system of credits that can be earned for rehabilitation, good behavior and education milestones or taken away for bad behavior.
- Requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to certify that these policies are consistent with protecting and enhancing public safety.
- Requires judges instead of prosecutors to decide whether minors as young as 14, should be prosecuted as adults, emphasizing rehabilitation for minors in the juvenile system.
Over the last several decades, California’s prison population exploded by 500% and prison spending ballooned to more than $10 billion every year, 10% of California’s annual budget!
Meanwhile, too few inmates were rehabilitated and most re-offended after release.
The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016 stops arbitrary prisoner release and improves public safety.
Overcrowded and unconstitutional conditions led the U.S. Supreme Court to order the state to reduce its prison population. Now, without a common sense, long-term solution, we will continue to waste billions and risk a court-ordered release of dangerous prisoners. This is an unacceptable outcome that puts Californians in danger.
Prop 57 focuses resources on what is known to work the best to increase public safety. Evidence shows that the more inmates are rehabilitated, the less likely they are to re-offend. Further evidence shows that minors who remain under juvenile court supervision are less likely to commit new crimes. Prop 57 focuses on evidence-based rehabilitation and allows a juvenile court judge to decide whether or not a minor should be prosecuted as an adult.
