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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal IssuesCaliforniaPublic PolicyCriminal Justice ReformRetail TheftProposition 47States: California•••Started 4mos agoActive 2wks ago

Should California lower the $950 threshold for theft so that repeat shoplifters can be charged with felonies again?

In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47, which raised the threshold for felony theft from $400 to $950, meaning thefts under that amount are charged as misdemeanors. While intended to reduce prison overcrowding and save money, critics blame this policy for a perceived surge in 'smash-and-grab' robberies and a general sense of lawlessness, as retailers claim police rarely pursue misdemeanor shoplifting. A proposed ballot initiative seeks to roll this back, allowing prosecutors to stack petty thefts into felony charges for repeat offenders and adding new penalties for organ…  

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11 Replies

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

Yes

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

Yes, 'catch and release' policies have turned California into a looting paradise

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

No, we should focus on addiction and poverty, not locking people up for stealing sneakers

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

No

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

Yes, businesses are fleeing the state because there are zero consequences for theft

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

No, the $950 limit is actually lower than Texas and the media is manufacturing a panic

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...4mos4MO

No, mass incarceration for petty theft is a failed strategy that bankrupts the state

 @5RZYXBB  from California  answered…2wks2W

No, but we should continue to charge felonies on repeat offenders under Prop 36.

 @2WSRCHPIndependent from Illinois  answered…1mo1MO

no, fix the structural issues in society that are the root causes of theft

 @2WSRCHPIndependent from Illinois  answered…1mo1MO

Yes if we simultaneously address the root causes of theft first by implementing UBI or some other form of social welfare

 @BC6XVZ4 from California  answered…3mos3MO

We should not lower the threshold for theft. However, if the individual is a repeat offender, they should then be charged with a felony.

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