As Bobbie Singh-Allen pushes Prop. 36, Elk Grove misses out on Prop. 47 savings rehabilitation funding

Today, Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom announced $167 million in grants from the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) were awarded to 27 government and community-based organizations "to provide mental health services, substance-use disorder treatment, and diversion programs in local communities." The city of Elk Grove and Sacramento County law enforcement agencies did not receive funding.

The funding comes from Proposition 47, a 2014 voter-approved imitative, that according to the governor's press release, "reduced the penalties for some nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and directed savings due to less incarceration to be used to help system-involved people rehabilitate their lives by tackling the root causes of crime."

Interestingly, Newsom's announcement comes as local elected officials led by Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho, with the assistance of Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen are pushing this year's Prop 36. That proposition, which has widespread law enforcement and Republican support but scant Democratic backing, seeks to roll back Prop 47 reforms.

“A decade after voters overwhelmingly approved Prop 47, this measure continues to work. Crime rates are lower in California than before voters approved Prop 47 and fewer offenders are returning to a life of crime," Newsom said in today's announcement. "The state of California must continue to invest in common-sense public safety solutions that stop cycles of crime, without going back to the failed and unsafe days of mass incarceration.”

Although Newsom has said he is too busy to actively campaign against Prop. 36, the timing of the announcement indicates he is using the power of his position to minimize the appeal of Prop. 36, which is popular with voters according to polling. With the dispersal of savings, Newsom is implicitly reminding voters about his argument that Prop. 36 is costly to taxpayers while Prop 47 has saved money from jailing to use in communities.

“Our Proposition 47 grant program is making a positive impact in our communities through meaningful interventions-there is no doubt these programs are changing lives,” BSCC Board Chair Linda Penner said. “It’s exciting to continue this funding to help support these diverse efforts and it’s encouraging to see the kind of services they will provide.”

Grant recipients include:

• City of Anaheim - City Attorney  —  $8,000,000
• City of Bakersfield — $1,999,374 
• City of Banning — $6,990,541
• City of Fort Bragg - Police Department —  $2,521,555
• City of Long Beach, Department of Health and Human Services —  $8,000,000
• City of Pomona — $8,000,000
• City of Seaside Recreation Services — $6,022,619
• County of San Diego - Behavioral Health Services —  $8,000,000
• County of Glenn Health and Human Services Agency —  $8,000,000
• County of Riverside Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions — $8,000,000
• Alameda County District Attorney's Office —  $6,000,000
• Madera County Office of the District Attorney — $2,000,000 
• Marin County Sheriff's Office —  $6,149,144
• Orange County Probation – $8,000,000
• Public Defender for the County of Monterey — $8,000,000
• Riverside County Veterans' Services — $7,937,500
• Sacramento County Department of Health Services —  $8,000,000
• San Francisco - Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing —  $7,999,999
• San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments —  $8,000,000
• Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency —  $8,000,000
• Santa Cruz County Office of Education —  $7,118,238
• Santa Monica City Attorney's Office —  $7,926,172
• Shasta County Probation —  $2,000,000
• Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office —  $2,591,725
• University of California, Irvine –  $2,469,922
• Ventura County Public Defender's Office — $7,317,598
• Yolo County Probation Department —  $2,000,000