Although California has made significant strides over the years to address mass incarceration and racial bias and disparities in the criminal justice system, more needs to be done to move California forward and invest in communities. Addressing failed, ineffective, and draconian sentencing enhancements is a big part of the solution.

SB 136 will advance racial justice and fairness and help keep families together. This bill restricts a mandatory one-year sentence enhancement that is added to an individual's base sentence for each prior prison or felony jail term served. Research shows that sentence enhancements like the one addressed by SB 136 do not make our communities safer or deter crime. Instead, these enhancements tear families apart. It's time California move forward toward real justice.

Bill Developments

October 8, 2019: Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom
September 12, 2019: Passed Assembly floor
August 30, 2019: Approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee
June 25, 2019: Approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee
May 28, 2019: Passed the Senate
March 26, 2019: Approved by the Senate Public Safety Committee
January 17, 2019: Introduced

Sponsors

ACLU CA, CA Coalition for Women Prisoners, Californians United for a Responsible Budget, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Ella Baker Center, the Friends Committee on Legislation of CA, Legal Services for Prisoners w

Authors

Senator Wiener. Coauthors: Assemblymembers Kalra, Carrillo, Quirk, Weber; Senator Bradford.

Status

Won: new law

Session

2019-2020

Bill number

Position

Support