A debate over the proper punishment for crimes like simple drug possession and petty theft is headed to this fall's statewide ballot, with backers arguing that reducing the penalty from a felony to a misdemeanor would reap both fiscal and societal benefits.
The initiative, authored by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and former San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne, officially made the ballot Thursday afternoon -- the final day for measures to qualify for the Nov. 4 election. Elections officials in California's 58 counties reported enough valid voter signatures in a random sampling to place the measure on the ballot.
The initiative, one of six measures on the November ballot, would use the money saved from prison sentences on K-12 school programs for at-risk students, trauma programs for crime victims, and mental health or substance abuse programs.
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the initiative, if enacted by voters, could save several hundred million dollars in annual state and county criminal justice costs.
Gascón has called the initiative a way to continue the push for reform of California's system of crime and punishment. In 2012, voters modified the long-standing "three strikes" law to focus on the maximum punishment for violent crimes.