Recently, California voters passed Proposition 57 which substantially changes the amount of time criminal offenders can serve in prison for felony offenses. What does Prop 57 actually do?
There are three main provisions created by Proposition 57– two relating to adults and one to juveniles:
Adults:
1. Parole Eligibility Changes
2. Credit Awards Changes
Juveniles:
3. Direct Filing of Criminal Complaints Against Juveniles in Adult Court is Eliminated
What are the Direct Results of Proposition 57?
1. Offenders who commit multiple crimes against multiple victims will be eligible for release at the same time as offenders who only committed a single crime against a single victim.
2. Repeat offenders will be eligible for release after the same period of incarceration as first time offenders.
3. Offenders whose sentence was enhanced for especially egregious conduct will be eligible for release at the same time as those who did not engage in the egregious conduct.
4.The California Department of Corrections will have unlimited authority to award credits to all inmates, in excess of the current 15%, 20% and 50% conduct credit limitations.
5. Juvenile offenders who commit violent crimes like murder, rape and carjacking cannot be filed on as adults. They must be filed on in juvenile court and can only be found unfit by a judge.
Matthew Ruff, Criminal Defense Attorney 
Hello! Helpful site, my family member has a NVO and accepted a plea for 2 years for the actual offense but an additional 7 years for prior strikes. He accepted the plea in September, he gets sentenced in LA in February.. will prop 57 effect him? If so would he have to go through the CDCR or will the courts acknowledge 57 at sentencing.
Thanks!
Kendra
Hello Kendra
The California Department of Corrections is responsible for applying prop 57 to eligible inmates. The Court will not be responsible for early release, that is up to the prison, the parole board and the internal system which determines who gets released early.