Help Your Community Benefit from Proposition 47!
1) Organize a Record Change Event in Your Community
Record Change events – no matter how big or small – are an effective way to help individuals rebuild their lives after a criminal conviction and ensure all eligible Californians can access the benefits from Proposition 47.
Check out “How to Organize A Record Change Toolkit” which provides the necessary tools to help organize a record change clinic including templates, resources, and information on Proposition 47 and other Clean Slate Remedies.
For a list of upcoming Record Change events, click here.
For a list of Proposition 47 Resources, click here.
2) Bring New Investments in your Community
One of Proposition 47’s most promising opportunities is the reallocation of corrections funding to crime prevention and treatment. The law allocates savings in state prison costs to mental health, drug treatment programs, education, and trauma recovery services.
Advocacy on the local and state level is needed to ensure that savings in the state or county justice systems are reallocated to community-based treatment and prevention. Sign up to get updates about Proposition 47 or contact myprop47@safeandjust.org.
3) Organize a Training in the Community
Californians for Safety and Justice and other community partners are conducting trainings across the state about Proposition 47 implementation. The Resources Section provides information and tools needed to educate the community about Proposition 47. For more information about having a training in the area, contact myprop47@safeandjust.org.
4) Join the Conversation Using #Prop47 and #Prop47Works
Follow Californians for Safety and Justice on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest news and updates about Proposition 47!
To request more information, contact myprop47@safeandjust.org.
(Information provided by myprop47.org)
Determine Your Eligibility:
If you have a felony record in California for one or more of the following low-level, nonviolent offenses – no matter how old the conviction – you may be eligible to have your record changed from a felony to a misdemeanor for these offenses:
- Simple drug possession
- Petty theft under $950
- Shoplifting under $950
- Forgery under $950
- Receipt of stolen property under $950
- Writing a bad check under $950
Note: If you are currently serving a sentence for one of the above offenses, you may quality for resentencing. Click here for more information on the resentencing process.
If you have a previous conviction for crimes such as rape, murder or child molestation, or are in the sex offender registry, you will not be eligible to get the six felonies listed above reclassified. Click here for a full list of crimes that will exclude you from getting your record changed under Proposition 47.
STEP 1: GET A COPY OF YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD
You will need a copy of your “RAP Sheet” (criminal record) to determine if you are eligible and have no excluding offenses. If your conviction(s) are from one county, visit the Superior Court where you were convicted and obtain your record.
If your conviction(s) are from multiple counties, you must visit each county where you received a conviction or you can request a copy of your RAP sheet from the Department of Justice, which will list your entire criminal history. You must visit a Live Scan location near you to get fingerprinted in order to request your DOJ RAP Sheet. Make sure to follow the directions for requesting your record carefully. There is a fee, but you may qualify for a waiver (if you provide written proof that your income is under a certain level). It may take several weeks for your record to arrive in the mail.
STEP 2: COMPLETE YOUR PROPOSITION 47 RECLASSIFICATION FORMS
In most counties, you will need to complete two documents: 1) an Application for Reclassification (record change); and 2) Proof of Service.
STEP 3: MAKE YOUR RECLASSIFICATION PACKET(S)
Your completed Reclassification forms are your reclassification packet. You will need to submit a separate reclassification packet for each conviction you would like to have reclassified.
Make three copies of each reclassification packet:
1) Original for your records.
2) One copy provided to the District Attorney’s Office.
3) One copy filed in the Superior Court where you were sentenced.
Some counties may require you to complete additional paperwork.
STEP 4: FILE YOUR RECLASSIFICATION PACKET
- One packet will go to the District Attorney’s Office where you were convicted.
- One packet to the Superior Court where convicted.
- Keep the packet of original papers for your files.
STEP 5: WAIT FOR APPROVAL
After submitting your forms, the District Attorney’s Office will review your application to determine if you are eligible to have your felony reduced to a misdemeanor. If the District Attorney’s Office confirms your eligibility, they will then notify the Superior Court. In most counties, you will be notified by mail once the Superior Court has recorded the reclassification. Some counties may require that you return to Court to learn the status of your application.
Typically, a hearing is not needed to process your record change. However, if there is a dispute and your application is denied, you will be entitled to a hearing. In some instances, it may be that your forms were completed incorrectly, which is why working with an attorney or legal clinic is so important. If you qualify, a public defender will represent you at this hearing.
STEP 6: ACCESS NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Once your felony has been removed from your record, you may be eligible for a variety of benefits and opportunities afforded to other Californians, including but not limited to: professional licensing for various trades, student loan eligibility, housing benefits, holding government office and serving on a jury. Click here for a list of resources that can assist you.
(Information provided by myprop47.org)
Homeboy Industries provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community. Each year over 10,000 former gang members from across Los Angeles come through Homeboy Industries’ doors in an effort to make a positive change. They are welcomed into a community of mutual kinship, love, and a wide variety of services ranging from tattoo removal to anger management and parenting classes. Full-time employment is offered for more than 200 men and women at a time through an 18-month program that helps them re-identify who they are in the world, offers job training so they can move on from Homeboy Industries and become contributing members of the community – knowing they count. For more information, click here.
ARC serves more than 450 formerly incarcerated men and women, who commit to living crime-free, gang-free and drug-free; enrolling in school, working, or actively searching for work; and being of service to their community. The majority of ARC members live in Los Angeles County, where the organization was founded. Over the past three years, ARC has expanded its network to also include members in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, as well as Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. In September 2016, ARC opened a second office in Sacramento County, and is now providing reentry and supportive services to more than 130 formerly incarcerated young people in the region. For more information, click here.
