It's been nearly one year since Proposition 36 took effect in California, an effort to tighten laws around property and drug crimes while expanding access to treatment instead of jail for nonviolent offenders.

But from the start, funding has been the biggest obstacle. 

On Wednesday, district attorneys and supporters gathered in Sacramento to talk about progress and the growing urgency for stable funding. 

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho and Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire say Prop 36 can only work if the state steps up with long-term, dependable funding, at a time when federal support is being cut. 

Prop 36 gives prosecutors more discretion, allowing them to send people struggling with addiction into treatment, while still holding career criminals accountable. But counties say they can't build strong treatment programs when the funding isn't consistent.

"Counties shouldn't have to rely on grants or just hope they get money to fund these critical services," Gire said. "It's the state's responsibility to ensure these treatment programs are fully supported."

State lawmakers estimated the state would need more than $600 million a year to fully implement Prop 36. Instead, the governor and legislature approved a one-time $100 million allocation, far short of what counties say they need.

Federal cuts to treatment and behavioral health services are now making the situation worse, leaving counties scrambling.

"With federal cuts hitting hard, California needs to step up and help local governments with the resources they need to provide effective treatment," Ho said.

Gire says Prop 36 is working, but only if the state invests in the treatment side of the equation.

"Prop 36 has enabled us to use the tools at our discretion appropriately," Gire said. "We don't want drug addicts in jail, we want them in treatment. And we want those who are professional criminals to be separated from society for as long as possible. Prop 36 has allowed that, but now we need to fund the treatment aspect."

Ho said without reliable funding, counties simply can't provide the services the proposition promises.

"We need the treatment aspect," Ho said. "In order to perfect treatment, we need the resources and the funding to do so. When we're seeing devastating federal cuts, we need the state of California to step up and help local governments and law enforcement help people get the treatment they need."

CBS Sacramento reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom's office for comment on future Prop 36 funding, but hasn't heard back.