This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now healthcare newsletter at Kaiser and Highland Hospitals in Oakland, CA.
California Prop. 36 recently passed, 69% to 30% (some votes are still being counted). The measure increases penalties for certain drug and theft crimes, including longer prison sentences. The strong support for Prop. 36 reflects just how frustrated people are with the devastating impact of drugs on our lives and the fear of theft in our already plundered communities. But will locking people up for longer really solve these problems?
Drug and theft charges are often called “crimes of poverty,” with theft frequently being a last resort driven by limited job opportunities and a lack of stable access to basic resources. Kids grow up dreaming of becoming astronauts or firefighters – not turning to so-called crime or joining drug rings. But when opportunities are scarce, survival can force people into choices they’d never planned for, like stealing just to get by. And who hasn’t drank or used other drugs to escape life stressors at some point? Now imagine you’re unemployed and unhoused – the stress must be overwhelming! What people need is support, not a cycle of punishment.
For those with a criminal record – often from minor theft or drug offenses – poverty can become an inescapable cycle. A criminal record restricts access to employment, forcing people toward survival strategies like theft. Drugs often become a coping mechanism for the hardships of this reality.
What we need isn’t more prisons but more resources and opportunities in our communities. We can’t warehouse the poor in prisons and expect this to solve the underlying issues; real solutions require investing in people, not punishing them.
Click here to read the article printed in the 11-13-24 Healthcare Newsletter
