NORA is a California ballot initiative intended for the Nov. 4, 2008, ballot, offering a common-sense solution to prison overcrowding. The campaign is just getting started, with signature-collection efforts under way in January 2008. We continue gathering signatures until April 21, 2008.

The official sponsor of the campaign is the Campaign for Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation, a state ballot measure committee with ID# 1302707.

For more information about how to get involved, please contact Margaret Dooley-Sammuli by email. Additional documents and forms are available here.

NORA Official Title & Summary

On Jan. 2, 2008, NORA supporters received the official title & summary for the ballot measure from the California Attorney General. This is the language that appears on petitions now.

Here is the text of the summary, broken out (by the campaign) into bullet points for easier reading:

NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS. SENTENCING, PAROLE AND REHABILITATION. STATUTE.

• Requires State to expand and increase funding and oversight for individualized treatment and rehabilitation programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees.
• Reduces criminal consequences of nonviolent drug offenses by mandating three-tiered probation with treatment and by providing for case dismissal and/or sealing of records after probation. Limits court’s authority to incarcerate offenders who violate probation or parole.
• Shortens parole for most drug offenses, including sales, and for nonviolent property crimes.
• Creates numerous divisions, boards, commissions, and reporting requirements regarding drug treatment and rehabilitation.
• Changes certain marijuana misdemeanors to infractions.

Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government:

• Increased state costs that could exceed $1 billion annually primarily for expanding drug treatment and rehabilitation programs for offenders in state prisons, on parole, and in the community.
• Savings to the state that could exceed $1 billion annually due primarily to reduced prison and parole operating costs.
• Net savings on a one-time basis on capital outlay costs for prison facilities that could exceed $2.5 billion.
• Unknown net fiscal effect on expenditures for county operations and capital outlay.