Prop. 47: Fewer prisoners, but public safety impact unclear
By Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee
Citrus Heights police Officer Wesley Herman recently arrested a parolee carrying stolen jewelry and a deceased man’s identification card.
If the property were valued at more than $950, the case was a felony that would let him take the man into custody. If not, it was a misdemeanor and he’d get a citation.
The first words out of his mouth, Herman said, were, “Am I going to jail?”
It’s been nine months since California voters approved a ballot measure reducing charges for some nonviolent drug and property crimes, and Herman says repeat offenders are getting savvy about the new limits of the law.