NCJ Number
74452
Date Published
1980
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The potential impact of Proposition 13 on California corrections is discussed, and a public education campaign that elicits the support of the public for corrections is advised.
Abstract
When Proposition 13 mandated property tax cuts in California's cities and counties, fiscal disaster was averted by the State's use of money from its surplus to 'bail out' localities. This pattern cannot continue indefinitely since regular revenues at the State and local levels are not covering budgets. If corrections should reach the point where it does not have the resources to implement needed programs, the probable scenario is a spiral of increased crime followed by legislation that increases penalties for crime, which will then further overburden the corrections system. The poor, who do not benefit from tax reductions and are the majority of clients in the corrections system, will be the principal casualty of this trend. To avoid this bleak scenario, public education campaigns must be mounted that will draw the public into an awareness of what corrections can realistically accomplish with adequate human and financial resources. Further, citizens should be drawn into an active role in planning and implementing corrections programs. This has been done in California's counties by including citizens on various criminal justice policymaking bodies. The threat of diminished funds also makes is crucial for all elements of the criminal justice system to engage in cooperative planning to obtain needed resources for the whole of the system while using available resources to maximum effectiveness. No references are included.