Prop. 36 Would Address ‘Unintended Consequences’ of Prop. 47, Organizer Says

The new proposition would strengthen penalties for repeat retail theft and drug crimes, said Greg Totten, CEO of the California District Attorneys Association.

A security guard watches as pedestrians walk past The Real Real store, which has had its windows boarded, near Union Square in San Francisco on Nov. 30, 2021. Ethan Swope/Getty Images

The coalition behind Proposition 36 says the initiative, if passed by California voters on Nov. 5, would “fix some of the unintended consequences” of 2014’s voter-approved Proposition 47, which downgraded some theft and drug crimes to misdemeanors.

Organizers, led by the California District Attorneys Association, said the initiative would amend Prop. 47 to hold repeat retail theft and drug criminals more accountable while incentivizing treatment over jail time for drug users and sellers.