Three takeaways from ballot measures on crime across the country

Crime is a top issue for many Americans this election year, and voters in several states will have a say in how the criminal justice system works in their state – from the severity of punishment to how police are funded to what is even considered is considered a crime.

Here are key themes of these initiatives.

Some voting points suggest a shift toward a tougher stance on crime

One of the most notable election issues that could shift politics in a more conservative direction comes from California. The voters there will do it decide on a suggestion that would Undo changes A decade ago, a law was passed that reduced penalties for certain crimes.

Among other changes, the proposed proposal would convert some misdemeanors – certain types of theft and drug offenses – to felonies and increase some prison sentences. It would also require people facing certain drug offenses to undergo treatment.

Those who Support it say drugs like fentanyl are fueling the homelessness crisis and rampant theft in California's cities. People against it say the proposal will return California to a time of mass incarceration. The Legislative Analyst's Office, which provides policy advice to the California legislature, appreciated If passed, the article would increase the state's prison population by several thousand and increase the state's overall criminal justice costs.

Similar conversations — about how to punish people for crimes they commit — are taking place in other states. A proposal in Colorado would result in people being convicted of certain violent crimes serve more time in prison before they are eligible for parole, and one more would take away the right to bail in first degree murder cases.

In Arizona, voters will think about it Adding a new crime This is known as “selling fatal fentanyl” when someone knowingly sold fentanyl to a person who then died of an overdose. This is part of a broader immigration proposal from the state that aims to crack down on migrants crossing the border, data shows Most people are convicted of fentanyl trafficking are US citizens.

Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, says voting points like these signal a backlash.

“Most of the ballot measures we voted on in 2020 were progressive in nature when it came to reducing penalties. And now we’re actually seeing a response to that,” she says. “This is largely a response to the perception that crime has increased.”

The latest crime data, published last month The FBI shows how high crime rates are across the country mostly falling. What's more, Research shows Harsher penalties cannot effectively deter crime.

Several states are voting on whether to increase police funding

Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, public rhetoric around policing focused on reform, with many calling for reduced funding for police. Four years later, some ballot measures appear to indicate a trend in the opposite direction.

In Colorado, voters will decide whether some State revenue should flow into a fund for the police Recruitment, retention, training and benefits. In Arizona would be a suggestion Set a $20 fee for each criminal convictionto be paid to the families of first responders killed on the job. And change could be possible in Missouri Use court fees to support the police Salaries and benefits.

Supporters say these ballot items would provide much-needed resources to law enforcement. Many police departments are understaffed and Wage increase is often suggested as a solution.

Fees in the criminal justice system are common, but linking police funding to court fees — as would be the case in Arizona and Missouri — could create a conflict of interest by incentivizing officers to arrest more people, says Dylan Hayre of Fines and Fees Justice Center, a nonprofit organization focused on eliminating these fees.

“If you're a policymaker, what you're really saying is, 'I need a certain level of criminal activity, behavior or harm because as a policymaker I'm tying the financial payoff to us as a state to that.' incidents,'” he says.

Hayre says it's notable that one of those voting spots is in Missouri, where Michael Brown was killed by a police officer 10 years ago. After Brown's death in Ferguson, the Ministry of Justice found that police and courts there violated the civil rights of black residents by using excessive fines and fees as a source of revenue.

Several states are also voting on more progressive measures

In Nevada And CaliforniaVoters will decide whether to remove provisions in their state constitutions that allow slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.

Supporters of the change say it would close a loophole that allows forced labor in prisons. If the measures are adopted, at least the states would join seven more who have made this change in recent years.

Several states are also voting on whether to legalize certain drugs. Florida, North Dakota And South Dakota are considering legalizing recreational marijuana, which the majority of Americans support. They would join in 24 other states included. Additionally, Massachusetts votes on whether to legalize the cultivation, possession and use of natural psychedelic substances, including psilocybin.

These more progressive voting points — easing drug laws and reforming prison labor — are partly an attempt to reconcile with previous policies that some found too harsh, while others aim to reinstate harsher punishments, says Insha Rahman of the Vera Institute of Justice .

“There are two really interesting dynamics: We as a country are no longer where we were 10 years ago,” says Rahman. “However… there is still a perception that we need to be tougher.”