Hundreds of Oklahomans are free from prison tonight, but what happens next?
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Monday was an emotional day for so many; mothers and daughters were reunited.
"I've been out of her life for three years. She's my hope. She's never given up on me," said Lana Lemus as she hugged her daughter.
Some who were set to spend the next decade behind bars instead only served a little over a year.
"Thank God for the 780 law and great people who voted for it," said Shannon Brown.
Oklahoma no longer leads the nation in incarcerated citizens. This was not a one-time event to try to make the numbers look better, it's actually a change that took place three years ago in the courts. Several felonies were dropped down to misdemeanors for things like simple drug possession and non-violent offenses.
That measure was voted on by Oklahomans, under the number 780. The Oklahoma Policy Institute says in the first year of it going into effect, misdemeanors did go up 13 percent, but the number of felonies dropped by 28 percent. So, what happens to the people who were freed today?
"You're getting ready to embark on a fantastic journey," said Chris Linder with the Center for Employment Opportunities.
Linder is one of the people who will help the more than 500 freed men and women find jobs and re-enter society. He says they'll try to make it as easy as possible, but there will be challenges.
"It's gonna be tough. It's gonna be hard. Be prepared for that," said Linder. "Be prepared for the biases that will be set out because people have a stigma based off the life that you've been through. But I want to encourage you, that you are strong, that you are special, that God made you somebody, and you get to be somebody today."
