For Immediate Release

Contacts:

Madison Donzis, 210.488.6220, madison@fitzgibbonmedia.com

Kayla Keller, 281.682.6212, kayla@fitzgibbonmedia.com

OAKLAND, CA — Today, voters in California approved Proposition 47 by a wide margin. The initiative requires the state to reclassify six non-violent charges from felonies to misdemeanors — reducing prison overcrowding and ending decades of harm caused by the state’s mass incarceration agenda.

Statement from Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org:

“The passage of Prop 47 is a historic victory and Californians should be proud that they’ve taken a critical step toward ending mass incarceration in the state. Proposition 47 will change course from decades of misguided, incarceration-only policies, which have destabilized Black families and drained resources from Black and brown communities. Thousands of ColorOfChange members showed up to the polls, and these groundbreaking reforms will position the state as a nationwide leader in sentencing reform.

“California has been under federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding since 2011, but lawmakers have lacked the political courage to enact a bold enough solution to resolve the state’s prison crisis. Gov. Jerry Brown has sought to bring the state into compliance with the court order by recklessly moving thousands of prisoners into dangerous, inhumane private prison facilities. Prop 47 means better, non-incarceration options for the state and gives 40,000 mostly Black and brown Californians — convicted of nonviolent offenses annually — an opportunity to get the resources and treatment they deserve to stay out of prison. ColorOfChange members will continue to push the state toward alternatives to mass incarceration and private prisons, while holding lawmakers accountable for policy and budget decisions that deviate from the intent and spirit of Prop. 47.”

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With over 900,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest online civil rights organization.