why is this critical and important: Proposition 47, also known as " Safe Neighborhoods & Schools Act" reduced sentences for drug possessions and theft to under $950. Theft under $950 was charged as a misdemeanor and theft over $950 was charged as a felony when back then a felony was charged at $450. The negative side of this law is that criminals ended up taking advantage of it. Because they knew if they stole under $950 nothing would really happen to them they ended up doing it more often since they knew that they would be released from jail almost immediately which was also due tot he limited space caused by AB 109