I have been told that due to lack of funding, California was terminating the prop. 36 program. Is this true? If so, what happens now if you are arrested for possession of an illegal substance?
Proposition 36 (California's Substance Abuse andd Crime Prevention Act, eff. July 1, 2001) is still in effect; however, recent state government reports indicate it is severely underfunded. Initially $120 million was provided for drug treatment services annually for five years. Approximately 36,000 persons have been treated each year under the act. Funding was depleted in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 increased funding requests were ignored by Governor Schwarzenegger; however the initial funding level is still there. A study by the University of California, Los Angeles resulted in a report in 2007 indicating that the program needs at least $228.6 million to provide adequate treatment. The state paid for the study and it continues. However, given California's severe budget crisis, there is not much hope for increased funding at this time, even though data shows the program actually reduces crime and costs overall.
