New guidelines approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors mean the elimination from the criminal justice system words like "felon," "convict," and even "juvenile delinquent." The idea of the non-binding resolution is to label any offender who is released as a "formerly incarcerated person," "justice-involved individual," or perhaps just a "returning resident."
A drug addict will now be called "a person with a history of substance use," according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
Advocates for the changes, like District Attorney George Gascón, say the new language will help change the public perception of people who commit crimes. Mayor London Breed has not endorsed the resolution.
"We don’t want people to be forever labeled for the worst things that they have done," Supervisor Matt Haney told the newspaper.
San Francisco has a violent crime rate nearly double the national average per 1,000 people, according to data from Neighborhood Scout. The property crime rate is about two-and-a-half times greater than the national average.
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