Nope. The proportion of non-violent offenders has decreased since these "get tough on crime laws" were passed. Prisons in CA were 40% violent offenders when three strikes was passed in the 1990's - they're now over 50% violent offenders.The reality is, the California prisons are bursting at the seams with non-violent offenders due to these "get tough on crime laws". [highlight]Anyone working in the system knew this and has seen this coming for the last several years.[/highlight] You simply cannot sustain the number of people that you are sending to prison.....
California did that over 10 years ago with Proposition 36, mandating probationary sentences and treatment for non-violent drug offenders.The good that will come out of this is that it will force the state to actually go to the less costly and more successful alternatives such as drug treatment and other diversionary type programs
The problem isn't that "prisons are bursting at the seams with non-violent offenders" -- the problem is that California is f'ing broke and has been for quite some time.