Coalition Pushes California To Provide Funding For Crime Prevention, Prisoner Re-Entry Programs
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Preventing criminals from returning to the streets -- that's the goal of a dozen agencies, victims' rights advocates, and lawmakers in California.
Tinisch Hollins lost a family member to gun violence. It's one of the reasons why she is working with Californians For Safety and Justice.
"We want to set state's priorities," Hollins said.
They are part of a coalition pushing the state to expand crime prevention programs to provide relief to crime victims and increase community-based strategies to help more people in crisis.
"Making sure resources are at the community level so people can heal and rebuild their lives," Hollins said.
Her organization was one of a dozen that sent a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature asking for $3 billion in funding. The money would also be used to help try to prevent recidivism. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg says the failure to re-enter people effectively after jail is a public safety issue.
"Our systems need to do more to make sure people who are part of the justice system will not be a part of the justice system their whole lives," the mayor said.
Steinberg called for more housing, mental health treatment, and vocational training. He says funding needs to be matched with unprecedented changes because the system is broken -- and he has the support of San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar.
"Until that is required and is a matter of law, we will still have broken systems," Steinberg said.
"We have to invest in change and change comes with services for mental health, substance use, addiction, alcoholism, poverty, violence in the home," Verber Salazar said. "We have to have those stabilizing factors."
The proposal includes $200 million for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's re-entry programs with another $200 million for housing and another $200 million for mental health and addiction treatment.