Below we provide summaries and links to LAO publications on some significant changes affecting sentencing and corrections, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and courts over the past few decades. Not all of the changes (or the linked publications) below reflect current law and policy. This is because some were later impacted by other changes. For example, Proposition 36 (2024) reversed some of the sentencing reductions made by Proposition 47 (2014).
Proposition 36 (2024): Increased Penalties for Drug and Theft Crimes. Allowed various theft and drug crimes to be charged as felonies rather than misdemeanors. Created a
treatment-focused court process for some drug possession crimes. (LAO Publication: Proposition 36 Ballot Analysis.)
Chapter 328 of 2020 (AB 1950, Kamlager): Reductions to Probation Terms. Reduced maximum probation terms to one year for misdemeanors and two years for felonies. Previously, misdemeanor probation terms could last up to three years and felony probation terms could last up to the greater of five years or the maximum sentence for the crime the person was on probation for. (LAO Publication: The 2021-22 Budget: Funding for County Probation Departments.)
Chapter 29 of 2020 (SB 118, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review): Reductions to Parole Terms. Established an opportunity for people to earn early discharge from parole for good behavior after one year and maximum parole terms of two or three years for most people on parole. Previously, parole terms were generally set at three or more years. (LAO Publication: Overview of Selected Sentencing Changes and Avoided State Costs.)
Chapter 676 of 2017 (AB 1448, Weber): Elderly Parole. Required parole hearings for certain people who are 60 years of age or older and have served 25 years or more. Subsequent legislation extended eligibility for these hearings to people who are 50 years of age or older and served 20 years or more. (LAO Publication: Promoting Equity in the Parole Hearing Process.)
Proposition 66 (2016): Legal Challenges to Death Sentences. Required that legal challenges to death sentences first be heard in the trial courts; placed time limits on legal challenges to death sentences (subsequently determined by the Supreme Court to be more advisory in nature); changed the process for appointing attorneys to represent condemned people; and exempted the state’s execution procedures from various statutory requirements, such as the public review process. (LAO Publication: Proposition 66 Ballot Analysis.)
Proposition 64 (2016): Legalization of Marijuana. Legalized adult nonmedical use of marijuana, created a system for regulating nonmedical marijuana businesses, imposed taxes on marijuana, and generally reduced penalties for marijuana-related crimes. (LAO Publication: The 2020‑21 Budget: The Governor’s Cannabis-Related Proposals.)
Proposition 57 (2016): Parole Consideration, Credits, and Juveniles Charged as Adults. Expanded eligibility for parole consideration, increased the state’s authority to reduce people’s sentences through credits, and mandated that judges determine whether youths be subject to adult sentences in criminal court. (LAO Publication: The 2017-18 Budget: Implementation of Proposition 57.)
Proposition 47 (2014): Sentencing for Nonserious, Nonviolent Felons. Reduced penalties for certain people convicted of nonserious and nonviolent property and drug crimes. Allowed certain people who had been previously convicted of such crimes to apply for reduced sentences. (LAO Publication: The 2015-16 Budget: Implementation of Proposition 47.)
Chapter 312 of 2013 (SB 260, Hancock): Youth Offender Parole. Required parole hearings for certain people in prison for crimes committed before reaching 18 years of age. Subsequent legislation extended eligibility for these hearings to people in prison for crimes committed before they were 26 years of age. (LAO Publication: Promoting Equity in the Parole Hearing Process.)
Proposition 36 (2012): Changes to Three Strikes Law. Reduced prison sentences served under the three strikes law by certain people with a third strike whose current offenses are nonserious, nonviolent felonies. Allowed resentencing of certain third strikers serving life sentences for specified nonserious, nonviolent felonies. (LAO Publication: Proposition 36 Ballot Analysis.)
Chapter 15 of 2011 (AB 109, Committee on Budget): 2011 Public Safety Realignment. Limited who could be sent to state prison, instead requiring that certain people convicted of lower-level felonies serve their incarceration terms in county jail. Required that counties, rather than the state, supervise certain people convicted of lower-level felonies after their release from state prison. (LAO Publication: The 2011 Realignment of Adult Felony Populations: Results and Key Takeaways.)
Chapter 608 of 2009 (SB 678, Leno): Community Corrections Incentives. Provided a share of state correctional savings to counties that reduced the rate at which people on felony probation fail and are sent to state prison. (LAO Publication: Achieving the Goals of the SB 678 County Probation Grant Program.)
Chapter 28 of 2009 (SBX3 18, Ducheny): Various Prison Population Reduction Measures. Implemented various changes to reduce the prison population including making certain people on parole ineligible for revocation to state prison, increasing credits that reduce prison terms, and reducing penalties for property crimes. (LAO Publication: “Corrections and Rehabilitation” in The Budget Package: 2009-10 California Spending Plan.)
Proposition 9 (2008): Marsy’s Law. Expanded legal rights of crime victims, restricted capacity-driven early releases from prison, and changed procedures for granting and revoking parole. (LAO Publication: Proposition 9 Ballot Analysis.)
Proposition 83 (2006): Jessica’s Law. Made several changes to the sentencing of sex offenses, including requiring global positioning system monitoring of people convicted of felony sex offenses for life and restricting where people convicted of sex offenses can live. (LAO Publication: Proposition 83: The Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act: Jessica’s Law.)
Proposition 36 (2000): Drug Prevention and Treatment. Allowed people convicted of specific crimes designated as nonviolent drug possession offenses to be sentenced to probation and drug treatment, instead of prison or jail. (LAO Publication: Implementing Proposition 36: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities.)
Proposition 184 (1994): Three Strikes Law. Required longer prison sentences for certain people with multiple convictions and reduced the ability of people who have committed serious or violent felonies from earning credits that reduce time in prison. (LAO Publication: A Primer: Three Strikes - The Impact After More Than a Decade.)
Chapter 337 of 2020 (SB 823, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review): 2020 Juvenile Justice Realignment. Fully realigned remaining youths in state juvenile facilities to the counties resulting in the closure of all state juvenile facilities. (LAO Publication: “Division of Juvenile Justice Closure” in The 2023-24 Budget: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.)
Chapter 729 of 2010 (AB 1628, Committee on Budget): Juvenile Parole Realignment. Realigned responsibility to the counties for supervising youths released from the state juvenile facilities. (LAO Publication: The 2012-13 Budget: Completing Juvenile Justice Realignment.)
Chapter 175 of 2007 (SB3X 81, Ducheny): 2007 Juvenile Justice Realignment. Limited admission to state juvenile facilities to youths who committed certain violent, serious, or sex offenses. (LAO Publication: The 2012-13 Budget: Completing Juvenile Justice Realignment.)
Proposition 21 (2000): Juvenile Crime. Expanded the types of cases for which youths can be tried in adult court and increased penalties for gang-related crimes. (LAO Publication: Proposition 21 Ballot Analysis.)
Chapter 6 of 1996 (SB 681, Hurtt): Increased Sliding Scale Fees. Increased the fees that counties paid the state for placement of youth in state juvenile facilities to incentivize counties to retain youth who committed lower-level crimes. (LAO Publication: “Department of the Youth Authority” in Analysis of the 1998-99 Budget Bill.)
Chapter 409 of 2021 (SB 2, Bradford and Atkins): Peace Officer Decertification Program. Allowed the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to revoke a person’s ability to work as a peace officer for serious misconduct. (LAO Publication: “Peace Officer Decertification Program” in The 2022‑23 Budget: Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.)
Proposition 69 (2004): DNA Samples. Required law enforcement agencies to collect samples of DNA for inclusion in the state’s DNA data bank from all people convicted of felonies, some people convicted of other crimes, and certain people who have been arrested. (LAO Publication: “An Update on the Implementation of Proposition 69” in Analysis of the 2007-08 Budget Bill.)
Proposition 172 (1993): Local Public Safety Funding. Established a permanent statewide half-cent sales tax for support of local public safety activities. (LAO Publication: Proposition 172—How Did it Affect Spending for Public Safety?)
Chapter 1082 of 2002 (SB 1732, Escutia): Trial Court Facilities Act of 2002. Initiated the transfer of ownership and responsibility of trial court facilities from the counties to the state. (LAO Publication: Completing the Goals of Trial Court Realignment.)
Chapter 1010 of 2000 (SB 2140, Burton): Trial Court Employment Protection and Governance Act. Classified most individuals working in the trial courts as court employees. (LAO Publication: Completing the Goals of Trial Court Realignment.)
Chapter 850 of 1997 (AB 233, Escutia and Pringle): Lockyer-Isenberg Trial Court Funding Act. Shifted funding responsibility of the trial courts from the counties to the state. (LAO Publication: Completing the Goals of Trial Court Realignment.)
Proposition 220 (1998): Unification of Municipal and Superior Courts. Permitted superior and municipal courts within a county to consolidate their operations if approved by a majority of superior court and municipal court judges in the county. (LAO Publication: Proposition 220 Ballot Analysis.)
Proposition 191 (1994): Unification of Justice and Municipal Courts. Merged justice and municipal courts. (LAO Publication: Proposition 191 Ballot Analysis.)
Last Updated: June 2026