Last night, Californians took a huge step in the direction of a fairer justice system, and safer and healthier communities by voting in favor of Prop. 57! With over 65% of the vote, Californians chose to:
1) Protect our young people by mandating that judges, not prosecutors, determine whether a youth is best served in the juvenile or adult system.
2) Allow people with non-violent convictions to appear before the parole board after completing the sentence for their primary offense.
3) Build safer and healthier communities by creating incentives for incarcerated Californians to complete rehabilitative programs and earn additional credits towards their release.
We would not have achieved this without you! Whether by gathering signatures, building support through social media, helping friends and loved ones register to vote or voting yourself, you helped other Californians recognize the importance of rehabilitation, redemption, and providing hope to incarcerated people. Thank you!
Now, as we celebrate the victory of November 8, we wake up on November 9 driven to continue the long fight for justice throughout California. Today, there are still over 100,000 men, women, and children incarcerated in facilities throughout the state. There are still thousands of young people sitting in cells who will be told today that there is no hope and that they are not worthy of second chances. There are still thousands of mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, children, and friends who will wonder today whether they’ll see their loved ones return to society again. We must continue to fight with and support these individuals.
Thank you for playing a part in this huge victory for California. We look forward to continuing this work together.
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition
www.antirecidivism.org
