Crime has been a see-saw issue in California for most of the last 40 years. Leniency was the vogue for awhile recently. But now the balance is back to getting tougher, as polls this fall showed many voters believed property crimes have vastly increased since the 2014 passage of Proposition 47.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom strongly opposed Proposition 36. He claims it will bring California back to the 1980s when mass incarceration was rife. In recent years, the state has been more aggressive in cracking down on organized retail crime, but Californians are clearly demanding swifter change.

Frustrated with what they see as rampant retail crimes, voters approved an initiative making shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again and increasing penalties for some drug charges, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

It is clear they are closely watching now and aware of voter frustrations. Newsom and Democratic leaders in the Legislature oppose Prop. 36, but have decided to not forcefully campaign against it. They believe a package of new theft-related laws approved by state lawmakers this year is a better approach.

People who are incarcerated are often paid less than $1 an hour to fight fires, clean cells and do landscaping work at cemeteries.

California voters rejected the Proposition 6 ballot measure that would have outlawed forced prison labor, a direct continuation of chattel enslavement.