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A woman at a voting booth at a polling station on the eve of the 2020 US presidential election

Progressive Ballot Initiatives Won Big on November 3

While people across the country watched maps of states turning red or blue on election night and in the ensuing days, something else was happening that might have escaped their attention: Voters approved a slew of progressive criminal justice ballot measures across the country—even in traditionally conservative states and localities.

Drug policy changes continued to shift toward progress, with four states voting to legalize recreational marijuana use. Oregon became the first state to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of schedule I-IV controlled substances such as heroin and cocaine.

With increased media coverage and awareness of police brutality, 18 ballot initiatives related to policing operations and oversight were up for vote. All 18 passed, with several localities either creating new or strengthening existing law enforcement oversight commissions.

Several ballot initiatives that voters approved on November 3 correct policies that have stripped away individuals' rights related to social, political, and economic inclusion—such as the right to vote—based on their criminal record.

These wins must be coupled with an ongoing commitment to undo the deep-seated, structural barriers that continue to subjugate marginalized communities to fewer political rights, harsher criminal penalties, and restricted opportunities to engage in social, political, and economic life. But these ballot victories represent an overall trend that progressive criminal justice policies are gaining support across the United States.

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Related reading: Violent Crime Rates Declined in 10 Jurisdictions Following Comprehensive Police Reform

Video: Prevention Is the Key to Public Safety - Just Ask Your Doctor

The medical model understands that early intervention can prevent serious illness. Major surgeries are a last resort.

It's time for the justice system to catch up. Arrest and incarceration need to be the justice system's final option.

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