California’s Tough-on-Crime Law Promised Treatment. Here’s Why People Are Falling Through the Cracks
CalMatters found only 314 of 1,311 referred defendants agreed to treatment as counties struggled to provide care and track outcomes.
- California's Proposition 36, the 'Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act,' faces implementation delays as most defendants charged with drug offenses fail to access mandated treatment programs.
- Lawmakers requested $650 million for Proposition 36 implementation, but the state provided only $100 million, leaving local agencies struggling to fund addiction services and court workloads.
- Statewide data from 15 counties shows that of 1,311 referrals, only 314 defendants agreed to treatment as of February 2026, while just 15 graduated and had charges dropped.
- Gustavo Meza navigated the system independently and found recovery, but critics argue the program's rigid requirements and lack of support cause many participants to 'fall through the cracks.'
- Senator Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, and other leaders are pushing for $400 million in state funding, saying the state must provide comprehensive policy leadership to support the program.
12 Articles
12 Articles
California’s tough-on-crime law promised treatment. Here’s why people are falling through the cracks
California’s Prop. 36 gave certain people facing criminal charges an option to have their cases dropped if they complete drug treatment. Now, counties are on their own to figure out how to provide it.
Palo Alto Online
California’s tough on crime law promised treatment. Here’s why people are falling through the cracks
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The tough-on-crime initiative California voters passed two years ago wasn’t supposed to be a draconian return to mass incarceration. Instead, it promised to help people get better by diverting drug offenders into addiction treatment instead of prison. To see if Proposition 36 was […]
California’s tough on crime law promised treatment. Here's why people are falling through the cracks
California's Prop. 36 gave certain people facing criminal charges an option to have their cases dropped if they complete drug treatment. Now, counties are on their own to figure out how to provide it.
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