| California Ballot Measure Reducing Penalty | | | | population. |
| for Non-Violent Drug Offenders Should Be | | | | |
| Model for Feds. | | | | This measure should be followed closely by |
| | | | the feds. A substantial amount of federal |
| One measure on the ballot in California this | | | | criminal resources go to fight drug-related |
| year would reform the way non-violent drug | | | | crime. If non-violent drug-related offenders |
| offenders are treated by the criminal justice | | | | were provided treatment in the federal |
| system. In a state that has routinely | | | | system, rather than incarceration, inmate |
| increased criminal penalties, this measure is | | | | populations would decrease. More |
| seen as a major departure. | | | | importantly, society would benefit if drug |
| | | | addiction was treated rather than |
| This measure is not endorsed by members of | | | | criminalized. |
| the criminal justice system. For example, | | | | |
| Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge | | | | Geoff Mousseau normally writes about white |
| Michael Tynan said the measure would be like | | | | collar issues. However, many criminal acts |
| throwing money down a rat hole. | | | | are either fueled by drugs or motivated by |
| | | | the need to buy drugs, even when the person |
| California's nonpartisan legislative analyst | | | | is a stock broker, lawyer, or politician. |
| reports that costs over time associated with | | | | |
| the measure, estimated at up to $1 billion, | | | | Sometimes we need to take a critical look at |
| would be balanced by an equivalent amount of | | | | whether policy choices are working. Has the |
| savings by reducing incarceration. | | | | criminalization of non-violent behavior |
| | | | resulting from drug addiction lead to a |
| The measure would direct most non-violent | | | | reduction in drug addiction? Has this policy |
| drug-related offenders to treatment, rather | | | | really provided a benefit? Unless the answer |
| than prison. The measure would also require | | | | to this question is a resounding yes, then we |
| increased levels of treatment for those | | | | should be open to alternatives. |
| already incarcerated. And the measure would | | | | |
| revamp the parole system, reducing parole | | | | The measure currently on the California |
| lengths and making it more difficult to | | | | ballot is an alternative worthy of |
| return parole violators to the prison | | | | consideration. |