The only thing I can think of is the way in which her Back on Track policy functioned. From my understanding, it was created specifically with non-violent (drug) offenders in mind. This could be something as simple as possession with weed.
The Back on Track program, again from my understanding, would effectively have the convicted person admit to their felony, which would then be expunged in part of the program.
BOT participants are young adults, ages 18–30, who are facing charges for their
first felony offense1 for a low-level drug sale. At charging, prosecuting attorneys refer
potential participants to BOT.2 Candidates attend a program orientation and participate
in an intensive community service program for a 6-week probationary period. Only
defendants who complete 6 weeks of community service and decide to participate are
eligible for enrollment. They plead guilty to charges and have their formal sentencing
deferred and, after enrolling, start a rigorous, 12–18 month program with goals set
by an individualized personal responsibility plan (PRP). The PRP mandates concrete
achievements in employment, education, parenting, and child support and requires
participants to perform up to 220 hours of community service. In addition, enrollees
are closely supervised. They meet three times per week with a BOT case manager and
appear in BOT reentry court three times per month, at which a superior court judge and
prosecutor track their progress in meeting program requirements and completing the PRP.
To graduate from the program, participants must find employment, enroll in school full
time, and comply with all the terms of their PRPs. At graduation, the court dismisses the
original case, leaving the graduate with a clean record.3 If an individual still enrolled in
the program is charged with a new crime or fails to meet BOT requirements, he or she
is removed from BOT, and a judge can immediately impose a jail or prison sentence.
So some feel like it was pointed to force non-felons into a felony status. Which is true, if they didn't complete the program. But, the program also allowed for education in place of prison time. Which I'm sure happened, but I'm not sure if they would be considered in the image above. If anyone is curious, here's some bullet points on her timeline.
As San Francisco District Attorney (2004-2011):
Refused to seek the death penalty for a man who killed a police officer
Created "Back on Track," a program allowing first-time drug offenders to get education instead of prison time
Implemented a policy to only charge for a third strike if the felony was serious or violent
As California Attorney General (2011-2017):
Expanded "Back on Track" program statewide
Introduced police racial bias training
Made California DOJ the first statewide agency to require body cameras
Launched OpenJustice, a platform to track police killings
Controversies as Attorney General:
Fought to release fewer prisoners despite court orders on overcrowding
Argued against releasing some prisoners proven innocent by the Innocence Project
Appealed a judge's decision that deemed California's death penalty unconstitutional
Defended law enforcement officials accused of misconduct in some cases
Resisted some efforts to investigate police shootings
As U.S. Senator (2017-present):
Consistently supported criminal justice reforms
Introduced bail reform legislation
Co-sponsored bill to make lynching a federal crime
Voted for the First Step Act
Supported marijuana legalization efforts
For her 2020 presidential campaign:
Released a criminal justice reform plan to reduce incarceration and end the death penalty
Took responsibility for some controversial decisions made by her office as AG
The only thing I can think of is the way in which her Back on Track policy functioned. From my understanding, it was created specifically with non-violent (drug) offenders in mind. This could be something as simple as possession with weed.
The Back on Track program, again from my understanding, would effectively have the convicted person admit to their felony, which would then be expunged in part of the program.
Ah, here it is: https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/Publications/BackonTrackFS.pdf
So some feel like it was pointed to force non-felons into a felony status. Which is true, if they didn't complete the program. But, the program also allowed for education in place of prison time. Which I'm sure happened, but I'm not sure if they would be considered in the image above. If anyone is curious, here's some bullet points on her timeline.
As San Francisco District Attorney (2004-2011):
As California Attorney General (2011-2017):
Controversies as Attorney General:
As U.S. Senator (2017-present):
For her 2020 presidential campaign:
Thank you! This was actually informative. I imagine the right wing will spin most of this as being easy on crime.
I was a public defender for over 4 years. From this, I don’t think she’s nearly as bad as the prosecutors I dealt with on a daily basis.