Whatever you've heard, Proposition 36 won't help people with addiction problems – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

In recent weeks, supporters of Proposition 36 have drastically changed their message. First, they claimed that crime, including shoplifting, was out of control and something they urgently needed to address. But with report after report They have refuted their claims and abandoned their original message of a “tough on crime” approach in favor of a more sympathetic message of a “mass treatment” approach.

As a disability rights and human rights advocate, I am very concerned that the solutions proposed by Proposition 36 would only exacerbate problems in communities. People with disabilities—particularly people of color—are overrepresented in our prison system. more than 40% of state prison inmates have a disabilitycompared to just 15% of the general population. As someone in recovery and a former drug dealer, I know firsthand how policies like those proposed in Proposition 36 could exacerbate the drug addiction crisis, which is a form of disability.

The reality is that Proposition 36 does nothing to address drug treatment in any “mass” way. In a last-ditch effort to save their failing proposal, Proposition 36 supporters are misleading the public and ignoring basic facts about the urgent gaps we have in our drug treatment system.

Proposition 36 supporters, including politicians like San Jose Mayor Mahan, argue that drug addiction is the leading cause of shoplifting, overdose deaths, and homelessness in California. And now they are trying to convince the public that Proposition 36 provides the necessary tools to help people with shoplifting and homelessness get the treatment they were denied by Proposition 47. Proposition 36 supporters euphemistically refer to this program as a “treatment-requiring crime.”

But Proposition 36 does not provide any new funding for drug treatment. Official analysis from the Legislative Analyst's Office found that Proposition 36 would actually cut funding for mental health and drug treatment programs by millions. Even supporters of this measure have admitted that Proposition 36 does not have the necessary funding and have tried to pass it off to independent sources of fundinga strategy that simply doesn't make sense.

Their messages become all the more frustrating and unacceptable as the state of drug treatment in California continues to deteriorate. Access to quality drug rehabilitation is becoming increasingly difficult, with inpatient treatment lengths being reduced from 3-9 months to just 1-3 months. Post-rehab housing options are limited, such as residential homes for mothers and their children, forcing difficult choices after treatment is completed. Governor Newsom has vetoed a bill to legalize safe injection sites, one of the only real solutions to preventing overdose deaths. Proposition 36 does nothing to address these important issues in the fight against drug addiction.

Proponents of Proposition 36 are proposing the same old approaches that have already failed. They argue that people will be treated by reinstating prescribed drug treatment. But this is not a new idea or intervention. Prescribed drug treatment exists today. As much as we may wish otherwise, prescribed drug treatment for people who have been Drug offense Is not effective in reducing drug useIf we continue with this approach, things will only get worse.

Despite the shift in perspective, Proposition 36 is still a tough-on-crime measure. Proposition 36 will do nothing to solve the geopolitical fentanyl supply crisis and instead targets users who sell drugs to finance their addiction. Decades of research have shown that prosecuting dealers and low-level drug users does nothing but put people at risk of overdose.When supply lines are disrupted in a community without adequate services, drug users are left with no choice but to turn to riskier suppliers, exacerbating the overdose crisis.

Repealing Proposition 47, as Proposition 36 proposes, will likely make homelessness even worse, an outcome that is hard to imagine but certainly possible. Proposition 36 will put more people in prison, only the likelihood of becoming homeless after their release increases because a criminal record prevents people from obtaining housing, income and the stability they need to survive in an increasingly unbearable situation. Not only will it exacerbate homelessness, but there is evidence that drug use is not the root cause of homelessness. The main reason Californians become homeless is loss of income. no drug use.