Proposition 36 goes into effect, sparking debate over the influx of inmates and impact on the county

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. – As of Wednesday, December 18, Proposition 36 is in effect. This means that repeat thefts or drug offenses will now face harsher penalties.

Nearly 70% of California voters voted “yes” on Prop. 36, but now some people are raising concerns about how the expected influx of inmates will affect counties.

The California District Attorneys Association, California for Safer Communities and Golden State Communities have made major efforts to implement Prop. 36 to regain some of the legal power they believe they lost with the passage of Prop. 47 in 2014 .

Modoc County District Attorney (DA) Nina Salarno was part of this effort to present the proposal to voters.

Salarno said it is designed to examine offenders on a case-by-case basis but is intended to allow for greater accountability.

“This quote that we are going to fill our prisons with low-level offenders is absolutely not true,” Salarno said. “(District attorneys), people who live in our community, people who have businesses in our community, are working very hard to implement this in a very thoughtful way to avoid this.”

She said just because the bill gives prosecutors discretion doesn’t necessarily mean they will put every person in prison, but they will be held accountable.

According to Salarno, 54 of 58 California district attorneys worked on this proposal and understood the additional workload that may now be placed on them and said they were prepared to do the work to keep Californians safe.

The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office also issued a statement in response to Prop. 36, saying it does not tolerate criminal behavior and that its office stands ready to fully pursue justice and protect Shasta County.

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