Dust-Up: Proposition 5

Alex Kreit says California’s Prop. 5 would take some weight off prisons and jails without compromising safety. Steve Cooley says many of the offenders whom the initiative would divert into drug treatment belong behind bars.

Steve Cooley says Proposition 5 would make it too easy for criminals to claim a drug-abuse problem and avoid punishment. Alex Kreit says better treatment of drug offenders would allow prisons to devote more resources to dangerous criminals.