Prop. 47 Gives Former Felons a New Chance

Sometimes, California passes a ballot measure that ends up having very little impact. That is decidedly not the case with Proposition 47, which changed many nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. It also lets former offenders petition the courts to remove past felonies from their records. Voters approved Prop. 47 overwhelmingly, and you could see its impact right away with a lower prison population and, some critics say, a higher crime rate. But there's also been a very personal impact.