In effect, the proposition would substitute incarcertion with treatment. If Prop. 36 passes, judges would no longer have the option to send an offender to jail right off the bat. To encourage a holistic approach to the issue, money would also be made available for literacy and job skills programs. Of the 45,000 people imprisoned in the state of California for drug offenses, close to 20,000 are serving sentences for possession, according to California Department of Corrections spokesperson Russ Heimerich.
Proponents say it's a start.
They add that because drugs are so easily accessible in prison, keeping drug users out of prison can make it easier for them to kick their habit. Opponents also say that by limiting the courts' options the proposition could undermine drug courts that are already rehabilitating users. The San Luis Obispo County drug court, which has been in operation for a little over a year, is currently working with 17 felony drug offenders. Itakes a collaborative approach to managing drug possession cases. Working together, local judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and treatment specialists devise programs to help offenders deal with their substance abuse.