Since the War on Drugs started in the early 70’s our communities have been hurting and punished through incarceration, with no real rehabilitation opportunities. For several years my older brother was caught up in a vicious cycle of addiction and incarceration. To me the passage of Prop 47 meant offering him a second opportunity. It was about sending the message that black and brown lives matter!
I’ve seen people that have been to prison or have been in jail and they come out, turn their life around but they can’t find jobs. They can’t get financial aid for school because they have a felony, so they can’t get an education. I don’t think it’s fair, especially for minor things which is what Prop 47 will turn around.
On November 4th, Californians will cast their votes on Proposition 47. The prop, also called The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, would reclassify six non-violent crimes currently charged as felonies -- including drug possession and shoplifting -- as misdemeanors. We'Ced Youth Media and The kNOw Youth Media asked teenagers in Merced and in Fresno, Calfornia: When is incarceration a just punishment? And how should society deal with non-violent offenses and petty crimes?
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