It’s that time again! On April 9, the Drug Policy Alliance and our allies will host the third annual Prop. 36 Works Rally to celebrate the people who have made the program a success—the tens of thousands of Californians who are Prop. 36 graduates.

Eight years ago Californians passed Proposition 36, the country’s landmark treatment-instead-of-incarceration law. Since its implementation in 2001, more than 84,000 people have graduated from the program and taxpayers have saved over $1.5 billion.

Prop. 36 has removed any doubt that, with treatment, people are able to end the painful and costly cycle of addiction and incarceration, reconnect with families, and get back to being positive members of their communities.

As the legislature debates the state’s huge budget deficit, this is an important time of year to recognize Prop. 36 graduates and the program’s cost-effectiveness. In the governor’s draft budget, he has recommended decreasing funding for the program once again, down to just $108 million—the lowest level ever in the brief history of the program. Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have determined that the program needs at least $228 million to provide “adequate” treatment.

Less money for treatment means longer waiting lists and fewer services for everyone—and less personal success and fiscal savings. Show the world what Prop. 36 has meant to you as a voter, a participant or a loved one by joining us in the State Capitol on April 9!

For more information, see our flyer (PDF) or contact Margaret Dooley-Sammuli.