Artists for 47 | WHO WE ARE

We are ARTISTS for 47. A coalition of artists that helped the passage of proposition 47, a historic initiative on the 2014 California ballot.

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ARTISTS FOR 47

It’s a simple and common-sense idea, but a powerful one.

Artists played a pivotal role in the passage of Proposition 47, a historic ballot initiative to improve public safety, reduce prison spending and invest hundreds of millions in K-12 schools, victim services, and mental health treatment. Artists for 47 is a coalition of artists that helped raise awareness about the need for Californians to reform its broken justice system by voting Yes on Prop 47.

Today, over-incarceration continues to devastate families and communities all across America. In California,taxpayers now spend $9,100 per K-12 student while spending $62,300 per prisoner each year. As a result, California has built 22 prisons and only one UC university in the last 30 years. The fact is that we are wasting costly prison space on petty crimes which takes money away from education, treatment and other social services proven to increase rehabilitation and stop the cycle of crime.

Prop. 47 was a huge step in the right direction. It changed the lowest-level crimes, such as simple drug possession and petty theft from felonies, to misdemeanors – and is dedicating the savings to crime prevention. Prop. 47 has paved the way for California and other states across the country to start spending money on what we value most – our children.