November 6, 2008
On Tuesday, special interests overpowered the public interest — Prop. 5 did not pass. I’m saddened that the prison guards’ union poured millions into the campaign against Prop. 5 and prevailed. But I’m also moved by the energy and passion of all the supporters who fought for what could have been the biggest sentencing reform in our nation’s history. I’m truly proud to have been a part of this effort — thank you for all your work to make Prop. 5 a reality.

The prosecutors and prison guards’ union got their way — but they’ve really lost. Our opponents hid the true cost of defeating Prop. 5 — billions of dollars in prison construction and operating costs. In the next few years, as our prison budget grows from $10 billion per year to $15 billion or more, we will all look back at Prop. 5 and wonder why we did not put a cap on prison costs when we had the chance.

That’s why your commitment to reform is so important. Although Prop. 5 lost this week, our historic effort was not in vain. Prop. 5 presented a vision for a future in which we do more for young people with drug problems, and improve the way we provide court-supervised treatment in California. We can’t give up now because those issues will not go away.

There is plenty to build on going forward, and I look forward to working with you to improve our drug policies for the good of all Californians. Keep an eye out for an email about how you can stay involved with the issues you care about through the Drug Policy Alliance Network.