California’s new ‘war on drugs’: thousands arrested, few get treatment, data shows
Exclusive: Drug users face felonies and prison under Prop 36, with analysis showing racial disparities and little helpCalifornia prosecutors have filed nearly 20,000 drug possession felony cases under a tough-on-crime measure passed in 2024. But despite promises to get people into services, the...
<p>Exclusive: Drug users face felonies and prison under Prop 36, with analysis showing racial disparities and little help</p><p>California prosecutors have filed nearly 20,000 drug possession felony cases under a tough-on-crime measure passed in 2024. But despite promises to get people into services, the vast majority of those arrested have not received drug treatment, state data reveals.</p><p>Proposition 36, a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/05/california-prop-36-results">state ballot measure</a>, enacted harsher penalties for minor theft and drug offenses, with proponents <a href="https://yeson36treatmentnow.com/">pledging</a> the crackdown would lead to “mass treatment to keep people alive, out of jail, and off our streets”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/18/california-prop-36-drug-treatment">Continue reading...</a>
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