It became standard for prosecutors in California to use enhancements after state lawmakers passed the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act in 1988, for tougher enforcement on accused gang members. Since then, voters and the Legislature have added enhancements for other things, including prior convictions, to the point that 80% of people in state prison have been charged with some form of enhancement, said Michael Romano, chair of California’s Committee on Revision of the Penal Code.

They are “the rule rather than the exception,” Romano said