Study Reveals Prop 47 May Have Done More Harm Than Good 

A recent report reveals that a criminal justice reform passed in California ten years ago may have done more harm than good. The Manhattan Institute, a conservative research group, shared a study showing that Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for several minor crimes, caused crime and drug use to increase. The findings indicate that in Riverside, one of the largest counties in California, there has been a rise in repeat offenses, including serious crimes, and more issues with offenders not showing up for court. There have also been more warrants issued, more cases being dismissed through plea deals, and ongoing problems with drug and theft offenses. With the reclassification of crimes under Prop 47, the number of cases for felons dropped by about 32-percent. In contrast, cases for those with misdemeanor offenses increased by more than 47-percent.