Californians for Safety and Justice

Proposition 36 Falls Short of Treatment Goals, Critics Say

Proposition 36, intended to provide a treatment-first approach to drug addiction and petty theft, has failed to deliver on its promises due to a lack of infrastructure and funding, resulting in a “treatment-mandated felony” and racial disparities in enforcement.

AB 690 Targets Flawed Indigent Defense Contracts in California

AB 690, a bill authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, has passed through the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the Appropriations Committee, aiming to eliminate flat-fee contracts for indigent defense in California and provide greater oversight, transparency, and fairness to the state’s fragmented public defense system.