Last Updated on June 11, 2024 by BVN
S.E. Williams
It would be to Riverside District Attorney Mike Hestrin ’s and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s great joy –to eliminate, limit or otherwise degrade, provisions of California’s 2014 landmark criminal justice reform initiative, Proposition 47.
The breakthrough measure, passed by an overwhelming margin of more than 60% of California voters who cast their ballots to reduce harsh punishment for some offenses. However, such overwhelming voter approval was never enough for the county’s chief law enforcement officers nor many of their cronies up and down the state.
For nearly fourteen years, overzealous law enforcement members and their supporters blamed everything on Proposition 47 from the rise in costs at the supermarket to immigration and the war in the Middle East; or, as many claim on a more serious note, increased drug use, homelessness, retail theft and alleged upticks in shoplifting. I’m sure they will eventually blame Climate Change on Proposition 47 out of desperation if the current attempt to roll back its provision fail.
My hope is that it doesn’t make it to the November ballot but if it does, I ask voters should keep in mind that despite claims of rising crime and other fear stoking by Hestrin, Bianco and those of their ilk, crime statistics for the last quarter of 2023, show violent crime was down 10%, homicides decreased by 27%, victims of shootings dropped by 17%, hate crimes reduced by 5.8%, and property crime decreased by 1% here in California.
“He who rejects change is the architect of decay.”
Harold Wilson
Meanwhile, FBI data released Monday, June 10, shows an historic drop in crime nationwide–violent crime dropped 15% between January and March of this year. This newly released Quarterly Uniform Crime Report (Q1), compares crime trends for January through March 2024 to crime trends for January through March 2023.
Of course, we must acknowledge that some of the Proposition 47 resistance is being driven by naysayers the Public Safety Realignment bill approved by the California legislature in 2013. This measure shifted responsibility for the incarceration and care of incarcerated people convicted of crimes determined to be non serious, non violent and non sexual from the state prisons to local jails.
The new attempt to claw back provisions of Proposition 47 would allow felony charges and increased sentences for certain drug and theft related crimes.
According to a summary of estimated costs completed by the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance, if passed, the possible fiscal impact could result in an increase of “state criminal justice system costs potentially in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.” This would primarily be the result of an increased prison population.
Although some of the increase should be offset by reductions in costs in local jails, we must ask ourselves how much sense it makes to arrest, charge, prosecute, convict and incarcerate more people at the state level when the data tells us this not warranted based on current crime statistics, nor is it fiscally prudent for a state currently operating in the red.
The proposed measure would not put an end to Proposition 47 but for all intent and purpose it would gut many of its key provisions. We seen these types of take-backs being driven by Republicans on a number of issues ranging from Abortion Rights to Voting Rights to Affirmative Action. Any progress made to level the playing field for people of color is being slandered, dismantled.
Supporters of Proposition 47 are fighting hard to maintain the integrity of the Proposition while also seeking to address concerns related to the drug crisis and retail theft by championing state legislation aimed at addressing concerns related to drugs–specifically —fentanyl, and and retail theft, among others.
Currently, proponents of the measure claim amble signatures were gathered to place the initiative on the ballot. As of June 10, the CA Secretary of State has it listed among Initiatives and Referenda Pending Signature Verification.
I encourage Black Voice News readers to remain vigilant. Should the signatures prove valid and the measure qualifies for the November ballot there will be tons of money poured into disinformation campaigns designed to confuse and/or trick voters. Remember why we passed Proposition 47 in 2014, and be prepared to fight for it at the ballot box.
Proposition 47 was not perfect but it was progress toward leveling the administration of criminal justice in California. When it comes to criminal justice reform we must move forward not back.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.
