A recent report “Understanding the Impact of Prop 36 on Los Angeles County” from Vera California examines the impact and trends of Proposition 36 implementation in Los Angeles County.

California voters passed Proposition 36 in 2024 in response to concerns about homelessness, public substance use, and retail theft. Proponents of the measure promised: “Proposition 36 is NOT about going back to an era of mass incarceration. This is about creating a new era of mass treatment.”

Thus far, it appears those proponents misled California voters. In Los Angeles County, Prop 36 has inflated the jail population while connecting relatively few people to treatment. This is particularly concerning in Los Angeles, given the county’s overcrowded jails and acute need to address issues of homelessness and substance use through evidence-based programs.

Vera Institute of Justice is tracking Prop 36 implementation quarterly in Los Angeles, drawing on jail booking and population data from county government and police agencies. Vera’s analysis shows trends in jail bookings and jail stays in Los Angeles County due to the repeat theft and treatment-mandated felony charges created by Prop 36.

Main findings:

• There has been no slowing in the pace of Prop 36 bookings. In fact, Prop 36 bookings have increased every quarter since it was enacted. There were 2,229 Prop 36 bookings this quarter, up from 1,362 in the first quarter of 2025.
• Since implementation began in January 2025, more than 11,000 people have been booked into jail on Prop 36 charges in Los Angeles County.
• Without people in jail on Prop 36-related charges, Los Angeles would have about 1,200 fewer people in its jails, and the jail population would be at a historic low. (see figures below)
• Only 3 percent of Los Angeles’s residential drug treatment capacity is available at any given time for anyone (not just those with Prop 36 charges), and those openings typically disappear within hours. Court mandates do not resolve the shortage of treatment availability.

Because Prop 36 transformed low-level misdemeanor charges into felonies with higher bail and potential prison time, jail stays are more common and longer than before. Under Prop 36, Los Angeles County is spending money putting people in jail instead of into the evidence-backed programs that help reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness and substance use issues.

Read and download the full report here—>>> Understanding the Impact of Prop 36 on Los Angeles County

The Vera Institute of Justice is a national organization that works to transform the criminal justice and immigration system so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are incarcerated; and everyone behind bars is treated with dignity.