Safe Neighborhoods Act: A Summary

California has 12 propositions on the ballot this November, some of which have been greatly highlighted and debated. While Proposition 6 has not received quite as much attention as other initiatives, the changes the proposition aims to achieve are quite significant and worthy of closer consideration.

Proposition 6, or the Safe Neighborhoods Act, proposes to reduce violent crime and gang violence by increasing penalties for convicted persons. The aim to “Stop Gang, Gun and Street Crime” would, among a long list of other penalty, add an additional ten years incarceration for gang members who commit violent crimes. Try gang members convicted of extortion, home robbery, and theft of an occupied vehicle to life in prison. It also identifies the possession of methamphetamine as a felony rather than as either a misdemeanor or a felony and increases jail time.

The initiative also alters state laws in order to facilitate law enforcement to charge gang members preemptively of crimes. In addition, public housing residents would be required to submit to criminal background checks and subject to eviction if a member other of the residence is incriminated. The initiative even further extends to deny release with bail if a person is held for gang-related charges and is undocumented in the United States.

Juveniles in California would also be largely affected. Some counties may receive grants aimed at reducing juvenile participation in street crimes. If, however, a juvenile is charged with a violent gang offense, youth as young as 14 years of age can be tried as adults.

Prop 6 requires spending $965 million on the criminal justice programs, that is, $365 million more than the current budget with an increase of $100 million over the next five years. Specific assistance is granted to renovate and expand county jails and juvenile facilities, city programs aimed at enforcing target violent gang crimes, and law enforcement programs. The initiative will not increase taxes, rather, reallocate 1% from the state general fund in order to meet the cost. Long term costs, however, are not quite certain or predictable.

California GEneral Election Website
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/argu-rebut/argu-rebutt6.htm