The Benefits Of Proposition 47: Pros And Cons

Proposition 47 was an initiative that was put on the ballot in 2014. California voters supported this initiative overwhelmingly. However, it did not pass without some opposition and there were many legitimate pros and cons. The proposition was established to eliminate some of the overcrowding in California 's penal institutions, and reduce the cost to the taxpayers of housing too many offenders. It was also to redirect some of the saved expenses from the reduction to drug programs, mental health programs, and domestic violence programs. I support Proposition 47 because it reduces the budget to the state of California also to relieve overcrowding in the prisons. If inmates don 't do as much jail then the taxpayers are not paying for their …show more content…
What benefits, if any, have you seen from Proposition 47? “Most of the benefits have been to the offender. Instead of being charged with felonies, they get a misdemeanor. For the offender, a misdemeanor is less damaging than a felony conviction, increasing the person 's chances of acquiring gainful employment, enter college and qualify for financial aid, get approval for housing, etc.” Do you expect to see any benefits from Proposition 57? “While it 's too early to tell how many offenders will actually benefit from Proposition 57 we are hopeful that inmates will take advantage of the opportunities to reduce their sentences and be released back into society with good assimilation skills. Hopefully, inmates will improve their life skills and their employment opportunities by job training programs, classes, etc. that will be available to them during their incarceration. By earning good time credits an inmate 's sentence can be reduced and he or she can be released earlier than they would be if they had to serve the entire sentence. We expect to see positive benefits from early release because men and women will be reunited with their families, secure jobs and better their future. We also expect to see some financial relief to the taxpayers of California who now pay for an inmate to be housed, fed, clothed, and provided health care.” Do you see any negative consequences from Propositions 47 and 57? “Some of the negative benefits from Proposition 47 have been repeat offenders. Some inmates who have benefitted from their felony crimes reduced to misdemeanors quickly reoffend. This is very discouraging for law enforcement. The same people continue to be arrested and incarcerated. Recidivism has not decreased. Because of privacy issues the public rarely sees a person 's criminal history. The media rarely reports