Pros And Cons Of Prop 36

In the 1980’s and 1990’s there was a drug hysteria that took place in the United States. The incarceration rates began to skyrocket within our prisons and this was all in connection to the drug war. Many people were being arrested and received harsh sentences for minor drug offenses and this increased the number of people in jails and prisons. In result, drug courts emerged and policies were implemented. One particular Proposition that took place in California is Proposition 36 the Substance and Abuse Act. This initiative was passed by Californian voters on Nov 7, 2000. Prop 36 requires that eligible non-violent drug offenders serve their time in a drug treatment program rather than in jail or prison. This was an initiatives that offered rehabilitation

Well, not all individuals are successful in completing this program, there are some positive outcomes. According to the (Drug Policy Alliance, 2006), Prop. 36 diverted more than 140,000 people from incarceration to treatment during its first four years, and half were accessing treatment for the first time. Furthermore, the number of people incarcerated in state prisons for drug possession fell dramatically by 32 percent after Prop. 36 was approved, from 19,736 to 13,457 (December 31, 2000 to June 30, 2005). Overall, an impressive outcome. However, if an individual is granted Prop. 36, rather than incarceration, their alternative then becomes a term of

During this term an individual has a number of conditions to follow, in order to be successful in the program. These conditions include, that the probationer contact the Gateway call center to obtain a referral into available programs. The probationer is also to register as a drugs narcotics offender. In addition, they are to enroll in pre-trial services, which conducts drug testing two or more times a month. Further, they are obliged to contact the Department of Revenue, so that they can set up a payment plan. In addition to all this, they are also required to attend narcotics classes, three times a week, appear every so often in drug court, with proof of meeting slips, registration, Dept. of Revenue receipts, and a progress letter from their outpatient