ived welfare income.” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996.) Approximately two-thirds of the rapidly rising federal drug war budget is spent on criminal justice and interdiction efforts. Additionally, state and local governments spend more than $16 Billion annually on the drug war. (State and Local Spending on Drug Control Activities, Page 3, Office of National Drug Control Policy) Proposition 36 is not merely an opportunity to save taxpayer’s money, though this is the prospective result. It is an opportunity to put the money to its intended use, decreasing the amount of drug use in America.Will Proposition 36 keep violent drug-users from serving jail terms? The concerns over Proposition 36 extend to its impact on allowing violent criminals back into society. Several opponents will cite this as a primary concern, saying that violent offenders would be able to use this proposition as a loophole to avoid more serious convictions. One serious concern is that offenders found with “date rape” drugs would be able to avoid conviction. “The act of drugging another person, or committing a sexual assault, constitutes a crime separate from drug possession for personal use. No one who commits another crime is eligible for diversion to a drug treatment program for their drug possession offense [see Sec. 5(b)(2) of the initiative].” (California Campaign for New Drug Policies) If a person were found in possession of one of these drugs even before the commission of a sexual assault, they would have eliminated the condition that the drug be for “personal use” a condition of eligibility for this type of sentencing. Additionally, no one convicted of any crime other than non-violent drug possession, would be eligible to be affected by this measure. There are several other conditions that will help prevent those who are convicted of more serious crimes from avoiding a sentence. Tho...
