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April 9, 2007
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LA County Supervisor Burke Proclaims “Prop. 36 Grads Day”


18,000 LA Grads Generated $51.5 Million in Savings

Contact: Tony Newman (646) 335 5384 or Margaret Dooley (858) 336-3685

LOS ANGELES, April 9 – On April 10, County Supervisor Yvonne Burke (District 2) will proclaim “Prop. 36 Graduates Day” in celebration of the thousands of county residents who have successfully completed treatment under California’s landmark treatment-instead-of-incarceration law, Proposition 36.

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WHAT: “Prop. 36 Graduates Day” Proclamation , Graduates will be present
WHERE: Board of Supervisors Meeting Room, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles
WHEN: Tuesday, April 10, at 9:30am
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Margaret Dooley, Prop. 36 statewide coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance, said, “This important recognition celebrates the county’s Prop. 36 graduates and all of their hard work. Prop. 36 graduates are proof that, with the right support, addiction can be overcome and people can vastly improve their lives, reunite with their families and reconnect with their communities.”

In Los Angeles County, over 3,000 program participants graduate from Prop. 36 each year. Home to one-quarter of all the state’s graduates each year, the county represents a huge part of the program’s overall success. During this sixth year of the program, the number of Prop. 36 graduates in the county will surpass 18,000, generating $51.5 million in taxpayer savings.

The award proclaims “Prop. 36 Graduates Day” on April 18, the day of the second annual “Prop. 36 Works!” rally in Sacramento and coordinated celebrations in Los Angeles and around the state. At last year’s rally, over 500 graduates gathered at the Capitol to celebrate the program. Rally organizers, including the Beacon House Association of San Pedro and the Drug Policy Alliance, expect an even larger turn out this year.

Prop. 36 by the numbers
According to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, each Prop. 36 participant saves the state approximately $2,860. Savings for treatment graduates is even higher. Using the conservative figure ($2860), LA County’s 18,000 graduates have saved taxpayers at least $51.5 million.

According to UCLA, Prop. 36 saved at least $850 million statewide in just five years. Six years into Prop. 36, the number of people incarcerated for drug possession has fallen by 32% (5,000 people). In addition, over 1,000 Californians on parole complete treatment under Prop. 36 each year instead of going back to prison. By diverting so many into treatment, Prop. 36 rendered unnecessary the construction of a new men’s prison (saving another $500 million) and also resulted in the shuttering of a women’s prison.

Proposition 36 Fact Sheet

See more press releases


 
Common Sense for Drug Policy
 
California Society of Addiction Medicine
 
California State Association of Counties
 

Read commentary from Oliver H., a Prop 36 graduate.

 
Get the Facts
Over a dozen Proposition 36 fact sheets are available for download. Topics include: the Effectiveness of Drug Treatment, Drug Courts/Deferred Entry, and the California Correctional System.
 
County-by-County
breakdowns of the 2000 initiative votes
 
For background on the Prop. 36 campaign and other votes nationwide for drug policy reform, see:

Contact Lists
County Lead Agencies
and Contacts
Parole Region Contact
Probation Contacts

 

     

 
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Drug Policy Alliance · (916) 444-3751 · [email protected]