(Mitchell) Floor: 22-14-4
(Mitchell) Public Safety: 3-2-2
co-authors: Leno, Wieckowski
When drug offenders are convicted of an offense, they currently are up against laws that require an additional three year sentence for every prior drug conviction. This law was created to lessen drug use and sales, despite no evidence that it would actually accomplish that goal. Instead, it has been harshly used, mostly against blacks and Latinos while ruining their chances of rehabilitation and integration back into society. The Repeal Ineffective Sentencing Enhancement (RISE) Act (SB966) would have eliminated these sentencing enhancements. Had it passed, more resources would have been available to help create positive, lasting results for these individuals, rather than forcing communities to pay for unnecessary jail time.