Pro
In the 2024 Nov. 5 local election, 65.2 percent of Alameda County residents voted to recall Alameda County District Attorney (DA) Pamela Price. The recall is a necessary step for a safer Alameda County.
Supporters of the recall have criticized Price for being too lenient on crime through her passing of minimal sentences to convicted individuals. Supporters of the recall also blamed Price for a rise in crime in Alameda County. According to data presented by the Governor of California, Alameda County had the highest homicide, violent crime, and property crime rates of California’s 10 largest counties in 2023. Further, Price failed to meet deadlines required to prosecute around a thousand misdemeanor cases, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
While opponents of the recall may argue in support of Price’s effort to make the criminal justice system more equitable by stressing rehabilitation efforts and alternatives to incarceration, it is worth noting that these rehabilitative values should not diminish the pursuit of justice within our criminal justice system and for the families of victims.
In addition to the recall of Pamela Price, Alameda County residents have demonstrated a desire for the criminal justice system to be tougher on crime with 68.5 percent of voters voting YES to Prop. 36, a measure designed to inflict harsher penalties on crimes such as theft and drug offenses. These changes serve as necessary steps for ensuring that Alameda County continues to strive for a decreased crime rate through adequate prosecution.
Getting involved in local politics by showing up to meetings held by the city are actions every citizen in Alameda County can take to protect the safety of their communities. Learn more about how to get involved in local Alameda County politics at https://www.acgov.org/participate.htm.
Con
Between 1986 and 2006, California’s prison population skyrocketed from 59,000 to a whopping 173,000, largely due to a series of criminal reform laws passed state and nationwide, according to The Guardian. They have similar goals to Prop. 36, which will increase sentencing for shoplifting, property crimes, and drug possession. Recently recalled Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price opposed Prop. 36, and through her platform aimed to reduce racial disparity in the criminal justice system with restorative justice practices and reduced sentencing, according to her website, Pamela Price for District Attorney. The recall of DA Price and the passage of Prop. 36 are detrimental to the progress made in CA’s prison system thus far.
In California, prisons are more than 75 percent Black and Latino, while the state population is only 44 percent Black and Latino, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The recall of Price will undermine the opinions of voters who elected her wanting positive change and movement towards equality.
Increased criminal prosecution is a costly endeavor, meaning that money that could have been allocated towards social services improving people’s lives and addressing the root causes of crime may instead be spent on incarceration. Since 2014 when Prop. 47 was passed, a law that focused on rehabilitation and prison de-crowding, California has saved $800 million that would have been spent on criminal prosecution, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s online platform. Prop. 36 and the shift to harsh criminal justice policies brought by the recall of Price will actively work against the progress made by Prop. 47.
If you’re wondering how to support restorative justice there are numerous local organizations that you can get involved in through donation and volunteer work. One such organization is Oakland based Community Works West that you can look into at communityworkswest.org.