What’s on the ballot? Drugs, police funding and getting tough on crime
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Crime is an important issue for many Americans this election. Voters in several states will decide which crimes deserve harsher punishments and whether police should receive more funding. NPR criminal justice reporter Meg Anderson is here to round up some of the biggest debates.
So Meg, let's start off with some of the statewide ballot measures that would strengthen penalties for certain crimes. I know here in California, one is getting a lot of attention.
MEG ANDERSON, BYLINE: Yeah, that's right. So if that proposition is passed, it would turn some misdemeanors - certain kinds of theft and drug crimes - into felonies and lengthen some prison sentences. It would also require people charged with drug-related felonies to go through treatment. People who support the measure say drugs are fueling homelessness and theft. Opponents say this will take California back to a time of mass incarceration.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, people might remember some progressive changes in California - what? - about 10 years ago that reduced punishments for certain crimes. Would this undo some of those changes?
ANDERSON: Yeah, it would. And some of this stems from the fentanyl crisis. Overdose deaths have dropped in the last year, but street drugs still kill more than 90,000 people a year in the U.S., and fentanyl is the deadliest. So in Arizona, voters there are considering adding a new felony aimed at punishing people who sold fentanyl to people who then died of a drug overdose. That one is tied to a broader effort to crack down on illegal immigration. A few other states are considering harsher penalties, too, for a variety of crimes. Lauren Bonds heads the National Police Accountability Project, and she says measures like these signal a backlash.
LAUREN BONDS: Most of the ballot measures that we were voting on in 2020 were more progressive in nature in terms of reducing penalties, and now we're really seeing a reaction to that. And I think that is in large part in response to the perception that crime has increased.
ANDERSON: But actually, across the U.S., violent crime is down. And research shows that harsher punishments don't effectively deter crime.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, I remember back in 2020, we heard a lot about the need for police reform, and many people then were calling for less police funding. So what can some of these ballot items tell us about where things stand today?
ANDERSON: Well, some of them could indicate a move in the opposite direction. In Colorado, voters will decide on whether to increase police funding. A proposition in Arizona would establish a $20 fee on every criminal conviction. That would go to the families of first responders killed on the job. A Missouri amendment would also put court fees toward police. And supporters say these measures give resources to law enforcement at a time when many police departments are understaffed. But opponents say linking police funding to court fees could create an incentive for police to arrest more people, and that's a big concern.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so we've talked about measures that would make punishments harsher and the ones supporting police. Are there any going in the direction that might be seen as more progressive?
ANDERSON: Yeah. So there are measures in Nevada and California aimed at ending the practice of forced labor in prisons. And several states are voting on legalizing certain drugs. Florida and the Dakotas are considering legalizing recreational marijuana. It's worth noting that most Americans support that. And Massachusetts is voting on allowing the use of natural psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. So we're kind of seeing an interesting dynamic, right? Some measures are aimed at getting tougher on crime, while others are trying to reconcile with past policies that are now seen by some as overly harsh.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's criminal justice reporter, Meg Anderson. Meg, thanks.
ANDERSON: You're welcome.
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