Proposition 47: Reducing penalties for some crimes

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Proposition 47 is a ballot initiative that would reduce the penalties for certain nonviolent crimes. Supporters claim it will make neighborhoods safer, while opponents say it will do the opposite.

Prop. 47 would reduce the penalties by reclassifying them as misdemeanors instead of felonies. Those would include crimes such as petty theft, shoplifting and small amounts of drugs.

A study says about 10,000 current inmates would be eligible, and it could save the state about $250 million a year.

Retired San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne wrote the initiative.

"What this does is it reduces the number of people going to prison, and it provides extra monies from the savings for treatment, at 65 percent, for mental health and drug addiction," said Lansdowne.

But opponents such as San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon say it could allow dangerous people to get out of jail.

"I would expect that crime would go up, because ultimately there needs to be consequences for behavior like this, and if there's no consequences, then what's the deterrent?" said McMahon.

"It's very clear that if you committed a murder, a rape or sexual assault crimes, you're not eligible for this," said Lansdowne. "It is very clear that every single person would have to apply to a judge and a judge could consider past history, past violence, their behavior within the prison system."

McMahon says he's concerned that theft of a firearm would no longer be classified as a felony.

"There are no consequences for somebody stealing a handgun, and we've seen the increase in violence with guns in the communities that we serve," said McMahon.

Proponents say about 50 percent of inmates are receiving treatment for mental illness or drug addiction and would be better off getting treatment outside a prison.

After her son's death, Susan Burton spent 20 years in and out of prison.

"The state wouldn't have been paying these massive amounts of money, like $62,000 a year to incarcerate and punish me for grief and addiction," said Burton.

"The folks in support of this believe that if we reduce prison population or county jail population, that we will ultimately be able to close facilities, lay people off, and then that free money will come back to the schools," said McMahon. "I don't believe that will ever happen."

The issue will be in front of voters on Election Day in two weeks.