California and Los Angeles County are Getting Tougher on Crime
A majority of the neighborhoods that supported Prop. 47 in 2014 now support Prop. 36.
Yes on Prop. 47 (2014)
Yes on Prop. 36 (2024)
No on Prop. 47 (2014)
Yes on Prop. 36 (2024)
Yes on Prop. 47 (2014)
No on Prop. 36 (2024)
Yes on Prop. 47 (2014)
Yes on Prop. 36 (2024)
The stiffer penalties on some drug and theft crimes that voters recently approved with Proposition 36 took effect this month. Weeks earlier, in L.A. County, former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman was sworn in as the new district attorney and kicked off his administration by reversing several policies that his progressive predecessor George Gascón put in place.
In 2014, Proposition 47 was overwhelmingly approved by 90% of neighborhoods in L.A. County. It turned some nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors. Ten years later, 87% of neighborhoods that supported the ballot initiative voted to overhaul it.
All of the few neighborhoods that voted against reduced crime penalties in 2014 voted for harsher penalties with Proposition 36. Those include Santa Clarita, Glendora and La Mirada.
Longtime California pollster Mark DiCamillo, who directed polls for both Propositions 36 and 47, said both state measures were decided by the same swing groups: voters with “no party preference” and voters who consider their political ideology “middle of the road.”
### A Shift in Opinion
Comparing the polls for each ballot initiative reveals differences within age groups and political parties, adds DiCamillo.
Among voters with party preferences, Republicans were mixed on Proposition 47, with Democrats almost 4-to-1 in favor of turning nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors. In 2024, Republicans were 9-to-1 in favor of overhauling Proposition 47. Democrats were more mixed.
“Opinions switched, obviously, but the same age differences were there; the same party differences were there,” DiCamillo said. “You had the same kind of subgroup variations that we saw 10 years ago, but a very different view of the initiative.”
### Campaigning for and Against Prop. 36
Executive Director Rev. Zachary Hoover of LA Voice, an interfaith community organization that helped pass Proposition 47 and organized against Proposition 36, said the team campaigned in L.A., Long Beach, Inglewood and the San Gabriel Valley.
LA Voice’s campaign against Proposition 36 reminded people of what Proposition 47 has accomplished, especially in places where people benefited from the initiative. But that was not the main message.
“We focused more on the deceptive nature of how 36 is being sold to us, and what it would really do and what we really need, which is strong investments in mental health and addiction support,” Hoover said.
### The Impact of Prop. 36
Voters also haven’t changed their opinion on the importance of treatment. The September Berkeley IGS poll found that nearly half of those surveyed said they support rehabilitation or other alternatives for first-time offenders.
However, imposing harsher penalties for repeat offenders was what drove support for Proposition 36.
“Across the country, regardless of your D.A., crime went up in certain ways during the pandemic in the entire country,” Hoover said. “We were disconnected from each other for a long time. To a certain extent, the world is more complicated now than it was 10 years ago.”
### Hochman’s Victory
Who would be the next D.A. and how they would handle increased crime rates was a high profile issue in L.A. County this fall. Support for Proposition 36 went hand in hand with support for former federal prosecutor Hochman for district attorney. A large majority (75%) of precincts backed both the increased crime penalties of Proposition 36 and Hochman’s promises of law and order. Hochman beat incumbent Gascón by almost 20 points.
75% of precincts supported both Prop. 36 and Hochman for district attorney.
### The Future of Criminal Justice Reform
With Proposition 36 now in effect, several other California officials have vowed to use the power of new legislation to hold people accountable, and criminal justice reform advocates show no signs of backing down.
Hoover noted that Hochman’s platform does include messages of moderation from the justice reform movement. During his inauguration speech, Hochman repeated his campaign promises to balance criminal justice reform and public safety and called California’s overpopulation in prisons a systemic failure.
### Conclusion
The passage of Proposition 36 marks a significant shift in the political landscape of California and Los Angeles County. As the new district attorney, Hochman has pledged to balance criminal justice reform with public safety, and it remains to be seen how this approach will play out in the years to come.
### FAQs
Q: What is Proposition 36?
A: Proposition 36 is a ballot initiative that passed in California in 2024, overhauling the state’s criminal justice system and imposing harsher penalties for some drug and theft crimes.
Q: What did Proposition 47 do?
A: Proposition 47, which passed in 2014, turned some nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors and reduced crime penalties for certain offenses.
Q: Who is Nathan Hochman?
A: Nathan Hochman is the new district attorney of Los Angeles County, who won the election by a significant margin and has pledged to balance criminal justice reform with public safety.
Q: What is the significance of Proposition 36?
A: The passage of Proposition 36 marks a significant shift in the political landscape of California and Los Angeles County, as it introduces harsher penalties for some crimes and may lead to changes in the way criminal justice is handled in the state.
