In the 2024 election, through two propositions and a recall, California and Alameda County voters selected more tough-on-crime policies, suggesting a regression on previous progressive criminal justice policies.
Prop. 6, which would have amended the California Constitution so that the state could not punish incarcerated people with slavery or involuntary servitude, did not get enough votes to pass, with 53.4 percent voting no and 46.6 percent voting yes.
California voters voted yes on Prop. 36, which allows felony charges and an increase in sentences for certain drug and theft crimes. Prop. 36 passed with 68.5 percent voting yes, and 31.5 percent voting no.
In Alameda County specifically, voters chose to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. Price conceded to the recall on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Price, who assumed office in Jan. 2023, ran on a platform of police accountability and progressive responses to criminal activity. This was the first time in Alameda County history that a recall on a District Attorney was successful.
According to the California Department of Justice, crime has “spiked considerably” in Alameda County over the last year, contributing to the calls to recall Price, as well as support for Prop. 36. Price has recently faced criticism for being too progressive on crime and giving more lenient charges when prosecuting defendants. However, organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California opposed the recall, saying that turning away from progressive criminal justice reform would continue mass incarceration that disproportionately targets Black and Brown people.