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September 17, 2024 Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 ecomment@santa-ana.org Via Email RE: OPPOSE ITEM 21: Resolution in Support of Proposition 36 Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, Hoops4Justice urges you to vote NO on Item 21, the resolution supporting Proposition 36. Approving this resolution will have harmful consequences for the City of Santa Ana's most vulnerable communities and roll back years of progress in criminal justice reform. Proposition 36's punitive approach will not only lead to increased incarceration but will disproportionately affect communities of color and perpetuate racial inequities in our justice system. Proposition 36, which seeks to undo the gains of Proposition 47, is a misguided measure that emphasizes punishment over prevention. Proposition 47, passed by the voters in 2014, has saved the state over $800 million, reduced racial disparities, and directed savings toward crucial services like drug treatment, mental health care, and homelessness prevention. The City has directly benefited from Proposition 47's programs, with organizations like Project Kinship and Neutral Ground providing essential re-entry services to help residents successfully reintegrate into the community after incarceration. These services are critical to reducing recidivism and supporting public safety. By supporting Proposition 36, the City would be endorsing policies that take us back to the failed "tough on crime" era. Proposition 36 will reinstate harsh penalties, increase the prison population, and worsen racial disparities —without addressing the root causes of crime like poverty, mental health, and substance use. In Santa Ana, we've seen firsthand the benefits of reform -focused policies, and we should be moving forward, not backward. Moreover, Proposition 36's provisions will be costly and ineffective. It will drain resources that could be better spent on education, housing, job training, and other community -based services that prevent crime and uplift vulnerable individuals. At a time when California faces budget challenges, this proposition diverts funds from essential services, risking an increase in homelessness, recidivism, and economic instability. As a Sanctuary City, Santa Ana should continue its tradition of protecting immigrant and refugee residents by rejecting Proposition 36. The proposition would make more immigrants vulnerable to deportation and feed more of our community members into the detention and deportation pipeline. Proposition 47 reclassified six felony offenses to misdemeanors, including shoplifting