Published by Prism Reports
While eyes have been on the presidential election, particularly results in key swing states, this election season also brought a blow to criminal justice reform advocates in California. Voters’ final decision on pivotal ballot measures Proposition 36 and Proposition 6 will shape both policing and the experiences of and opportunities afforded to currently incarcerated people across the state. Not only did voters approve increased penalties for theft and some drug offenses, but they also rejected a move to ban forced prison labor.
In a statement released following the election, the Young Women’s Freedom Center (YWFC) noted that “people who become entangled in the justice system, especially incarceration, suffer collateral consequences like loss of income, inability to find housing, and being barred from accessing supportive services, that keep them trapped in cycles of recidivism with nowhere to turn but the street economy.”
YWFC cited research from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) outlining the inefficacy of harsher penalties and increased sentencing in deterring crime. According to NIJ, “more severe punishments do not ‘chasten’ individuals convicted of crimes, and prisons may exacerbate recidivism.”