Proposition 47 Implementation

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The passage of Proposition 47 by California voters in 2014 reclassified a large amount of crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. In response, the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office were able to launch a joint effort initiated in anticipation of its passage. Through strong collaboration and targeted use of existing technologies, the Public Defender’s Office and District Attorney’s Office put San Diego on the map as a leading county with over 43,000 Prop 47 petitions filed, and 16,000 cases processed to date. This collaborative effort has assisted thousands of residents in reducing previous felonies to misdemeanors, and as such helped people to get out from under the burden of being a convicted felon. This effort helped these residents gain better access to employment and other service needs. Because of this collaboration, the County of San Diego was able to minimize the costs of litigation both internally and for partners such as the Courts and Sheriff’s Department.