Is $120 million per year enough? Is more money available?
An October 2000 estimate by the RAND Corporation suggested that between $92 million and $114 million would be needed to pay for all of the treatment necessitated by the law. The new law does permit additional claims on its funds. Courts and probation departments may seek reimbursement for some new costs they incur handling Prop. 36 defendants. However, it would be a violation of the intent of Prop. 36 if these costs took precedence over costs associated with treatment. Sponsors of Prop. 36 take the position that five-sixths (83%) of the measure’s $120 million-per-year allocation must go to providing treatment services, with the same ratio applied at each county level.
