Davis Vanguard piece New Data Shows Prop 36 Increasing Incarceration While Failing to Deliver Treatment, Panelists Say
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s Proposition 36 is increasing incarceration, overburdening courts and failing to connect people to treatment, according to new data and testimony from justice system leaders who said the measure is exacerbating the very crises it was intended to solve.
At a virtual press briefing Wednesday hosted by Californians for Safety and Justice, researchers, legal experts and law enforcement officials described what they characterized as a widening gap between the promises made to voters and the outcomes now emerging across the state. Highlights and link to piece below.
“Maureen Washburn of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice said the data shows Prop 36 “is setting us off towards a dangerous return to mass incarceration.”
“It’s not doing what it pledged it would, which is connect people suffering from addiction with treatment services,” Washburn said.
According to Washburn, jail populations increased by nearly 3,000 people statewide in the first year after implementation, and more than 1,000 people had been admitted to state prison on Prop 36-related charges as of early 2026.
She said the data reflects a pattern of enforcement focused on low-level drug and theft offenses tied to addiction.
“We know that putting people suffering from addiction behind bars is counterproductive,” Washburn said.
New Data Shows Prop 36 Increasing Incarceration While Failing to Deliver Treatment, Panelists Say