What is it?

Proposition 36 will change the criminal sentencing laws established Proposition 47 in 2014. It increases penalties for certain drug and theft offenses, including stricter punishments for people convicted of shoplifting with two or more theft-related convictions. It also adds felony charges to dealing opioids like fentanyl, if the person has a gun.

Why vote Yes?

After the passage of Prop 47 in 2014, San Francisco has struggled to address the fentanyl abuse and overdose crisis. Simply put, we lack the policy tools to mandate drug treatment. Currently, we can encourage and incentivize treatment, but we have no way of requiring treatment. It is rare for fentanyl users to voluntarily seek treatment.

Proposition 36 revises laws set by Prop 47 to address harmful drug use, retail theft, and fentanyl dealing.

1. Creates a new system for mandating treatment for harmful drug use called a "treatment-mandated" felony. This felony charge can be removed if the person undergoes treatment, providing San Francisco a new way to combat the drug crisis.
2. Reinstates stricter penalties for drug dealers and repeat theft offenders, granting courts more discretion to impose harsher sentences.

Public safety is a complex issue, and Prop 36 isn't perfect—but it makes meaningful progress by providing policies for mandating drug treatment, preventing repeat theft, and arresting drug dealers fueling the fentanyl epidemic. We need practical solutions to address the drug crisis and enhance public safety in San Francisco. Vote YES on Prop 36.