Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th. We have 14 days left to pass Prop 57.
We will sharing information every day to help get California out to vote.
GO TO THE YES ON PROP 57 FACEBOOK PAGE for more information on Prop 57 or contact us at action@youth4justice.org to get support in creating your own Yes on 57 activities; to schedule a presentation; to get materials; and/or to get updates on the campaign.
ABOUT PROP 57
California has the highest prison budget in the world, with more than 100,000 people in prison and thousands more in juvenile halls, jails, and youth prisons. By passing Prop 57, we can: (1) Protect youth from harmful transfers to adult court; (2) Reduce the high costs of extreme prison sentences; (3) Provide support for incarcerated people to return home; (4) Recognize the potential of people in prison to contribute to their families and communities; and (5) Save hundreds of millions of dollars in prison costs that can fund essential community resources.
PROPOSITION 57:
(1) Ends the power of prosecutors to transfer youth as young as 14 into Adult Court without a hearing before a juvenile court judge. Youth will be guaranteed a hearing in juvenile court, and the burden will fall on prosecutors to prove why a youth would be better served by adult court.
(2) Permits parole for people who are incarcerated in state prison with a “nonviolent*” conviction. Prop 57 makes people eligible for parole consideration if they are convicted of a “nonviolent offense,” and have completed the sentence for their primary offense. The parole board maintains discretion to prevent release for anyone they consider a risk to public safety. (*We understand that many offenses labeled as “violent” are not, and we also want all people – regardless of their charges – to have the right to work toward release, and believe that extreme sentences – including Life Without Parole and other extreme sentences – deserve sentence reconsideration. Prop 57 doesn’t do everything. We have to commit to organize for opportunities for all.
(3) Provides incentives for incarcerated people to complete rehabilitative programs inside. People who avoid disciplinary write-ups, maintain positive behavior, and complete rehabilitative programs, such as counseling, education and job training, can earn additional credits toward their release. Currently, California sentencing laws prevent the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation CDCR will determine eligibility and will adopt regulations.
CALIFORNIA SPENDS $10 BILLION EACH YEAR ON STATE PRISONS.
California now has 34 state prisons and only 32 public universities, and local counties spend billions more on jails, juvenile halls and Probation camps. People of color have been treated more harshly for the same behaviors as whites, at every level of the system. Blacks are nearly seven times as likely as whites to be incarcerated, and Latino/as are twice as likely. And, as the prison system has grown, rehabilitation has been cut, including eliminating many education, jobs, mental health and treatment programs inside.
IF WE WORK TOGETHER TO PASS PROP 57 WE CAN BUILD A SAFER, FAIRER, HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER STATE.
Thank you!
