Prop. 20 is a retrograde and racist prison spending scam. Californians should vote no
Should California abandon its historic criminal justice reforms and return to the bad old days of overcrowded prisons full of Black and brown people?
Since those criminal justice reforms are working, we think the answer is a resounding “no.” That’s why voters should reject Prop. 20, which would undo the sensible reforms adopted under former Gov. Jerry Brown.
After years of a declining prison population — and declining crime — some of the usual “lock em’ up” special interests (like the prison guard union) want to overturn prison reform laws like Prop. 47 and Prop. 57, which Californians overwhelmingly approved in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
Prop. 20 would drastically increase penalties for a wide range of crimes, expanding the definition of “felony” to include some crimes currently considered misdemeanors, filling up our prisons and costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars a year.
That’s why the California Correctional Peace Officers Association is spending millions to pass Prop. 20. After all, more Californians behind bars means more jobs for prison guards.
California voters should reject this cynical and shameful spending scam. California embraced criminal justice reform because the state’s prisons had become humanitarian disaster zones that cost billions of dollars a year to maintain.
Though opponents promised bloody waves of crime if these reforms passed, that didn’t happen. Last year, in fact, crime in California fell to its lowest level in recorded state history.
California’s criminal justice reforms are working. Any necessary improvements can be handled without Prop. 20’s attempt to restore the ghastly prison industrial complex.
Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and Elk Grove Assemblyman Jim Cooper, both strong supporters of Prop. 20, should be ashamed of themselves. As California and the nation grapple with the legacy of systemic racism in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter protests against the police killing of George Floyd, the timing for Prop. 20 couldn’t be worse.
California’s prison reforms are working. This is no time to turn our backs on justice. The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board urges Californians to vote no on racist and retrograde Prop. 20.
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This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 9:29 AM.