2024 Annual Report - Building a Statewide Network for “No” on Prop 36
2024 Annual Report - Building a Statewide Network for “No” on Prop 36
Breakthroughs Building a Statewide Network for “No” on Prop 36
A new approach to ballot advocacy will strengthen efforts in the future
In 2024, DRC expanded our advocacy to ballot propositions when we advocated for Californians to vote “No” on Proposition 36, which reclassifies some theft and drug misdemeanors as felony charges. Prop 36 will expand the number of Californians with disabilities in our prison system, while also disabling people who enter the system.
People with disabilities are disproportionately represented in our prison system at staggering rates, with over 40% of people in state prisons having a disability, compared to only 15% of people in the general population.
Ballot propositions are decided directly by voters, which requires a different kind of approach if you want to inform people about why they should consider voting one way or another on an issue. For DRC, this meant breaking down the myths and facts on the issue through a webpage, social media campaign, attending meetings with community leaders, and appealing to the media to share our message.
“In California, if you want to engage on policy, it's not just happening in the state Legislature and in the executive branch,” said DRC CEO Andy Imparato. “It's also happening on ballot initiatives, and that kind of advocacy is different, and it requires us to develop different skills to have our voice be heard.”
Backsliding on the ballot:
Despite efforts by DRC and grassroots organizations, Prop 36 passed in California in November 2024. Prop 36’s regressive return to a reliance on the criminal legal system will lead to greater incarceration, forced drug treatment, and will reduce funding for community-based programs that keep our communities healthy and safe.
Breakthrough
Developing the necessary different skills is where DRC’s Community Organizer Carolina Valle came into the picture. Valle worked to connect DRC with a number of grassroots organizations to deepen our connections in different communities in California. One group in particular was the All People’s Health Collective, a coalition of organizations dedicated to power building through collective action and anchored by Lex Steppling.
“We [the All People’s Health Collective] are really dedicated to de-siloing issue areas because the state has already de-siloed...they have conflated housing and mental health already in the wrong direction. We are thankful to Lex for shaping this de-siloed strategy and direction of APHC.” Carolina said.
Building a coalition allows DRC to be more adept in all kinds of advocacy going forward. Instead of having to start from scratch each time there’s a new ballot initiative, DRC and partner organizations can reach out to contacts across the state at a moment's notice to mobilize together toward a common goal.
“We now have this statewide network of individuals and organizations prepared, like a foundation for future demands,” Carolina said.
