To the editor: The Yes on Proposition 36 campaign’s $1-million donation to the California Republican Party reveals the true nature of this ballot measure. Despite claims of bipartisan support, this substantial contribution exposes Proposition 36 as a partisan effort to drag California back to failed “tough on crime” policies.
This move reveals campaign backers’ allegiance to a political party that has historically championed policies that disproportionately incarcerated people of color. Proposition 36 threatens to undo the progress made by Proposition 47, which lowered the state’s prison population and saved taxpayers more than $800 million since it was passed in 2014.
California spends $132,860 per year to incarcerate one person. This exorbitant cost ignores the root causes of theft-related crime: poverty and lack of opportunity.
Instead of reverting to failed policies, we should invest in job training programs, educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals and community-based violence prevention services.
The campaign’s donation clearly shows this measure is about political gain, not public safety. Californians should reject Proposition 36 and demand evidence-based policies that enhance safety without sacrificing equity and justice.
Let’s invest in fighting poverty, not filling prisons.
George Galvis, Oakland
The writer is executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, which opposes Proposition 36.
