By Ricardo Roura
Dec 18, 2024, 1:55 PM EST
Penalties for certain theft and drug crimes increase in California as Proposition 36 comes into effect this Wednesday, December 18.
This proposition makes theft a serious crime for repeat offendersin addition to increasing penalties for some drug-related crimes, including those related to fentanyl.
Judges would also be given authority to order people with multiple drug-related offenses to receive treatment.
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According to the promoters of the proposal, the initiative was necessary to close certain loopholes that have made it difficult for authorities to punish shoplifters and drug dealers; and they also considered that it can help the state address homelessness crises.
Opponents, including state Democratic leaders and social justice groups, said Proposition would imprison poor people and those with substance use problemsrather than focusing on those who hire large groups of people to steal products to resell online.
The measure also would defund drug and mental health care that are obtained with the savings from imprisoning fewer people.
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With the entry into force of the new initiative, repeals Proposition 47, approved in 2014which made some theft and drug crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies.
At the beginning of this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom spoke out against Proposition 36 saying that Proposition 47 had saved taxpayers more than $816 million by reducing the costs of incarceration for misdemeanors.
“Proposition 36 takes us back to the 1980s, to mass incarceration, promotes a promise that cannot be kept“Newsom considered.
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“I would like to ask those who support it, in particular the mayors: where are the spaces for treatment, where are the beds? 22 counties do not have a single residential treatment center. 22 don’t have one. I mean, they are lying to you,” the governor added.
Proposition 36 contemplates the creation of a new category of crime, called “serious crime with mandatory treatment”in which the accused person could go to treatment instead of going to prison.
However, those in favor of the proposition said that rampant crime throughout the state forced the need to impose more severe penalties.
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Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso stated earlier this year that residents were aware of the increase in crimeso they felt insecure. Caruso mentioned that Proposition 36 could provide an opportunity to change people’s perceptions.
“A pillar of good government is to try something when it doesn’t work, make a change and try to rectify it. (Proposition) 36 does that by holding serial criminals accountable.“said Caruso.
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· Los Angeles fentanyl dealer receives 25 years in prison
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