III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 102 

Designating April 2019 as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 11, 2019 

Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 2019 as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’. 

Whereas every individual is endowed with human dignity and 

value; 

Whereas redemption and second chances are values of the 

United States; 

Whereas millions of individuals in the United States have a 

criminal record; 

Whereas hundreds of thousands of individuals return to their 

communities from Federal and State prisons every year; 

Whereas neighbors returning to their communities have paid 

their debt to society after committing a crime but still 

face significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in 

this preamble as ‘‘collateral consequences’’); 


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•SRES 102 IS 

Whereas returning individuals face collateral consequences 

automatically, regardless of— 

(1) a nexus between the legal or societal barrier and 

public safety; 

(2) the seriousness of the offense committed; 

(3) the time passed since the offense; or 

(4) the efforts of the individual to make amends or 

earn back the trust of the public; 

Whereas gaining meaningful employment is one of the most 

significant predictors of successful reentry into society 

and reducing future criminal activity; 

Whereas many individuals who have previously been incarcerated struggle to find employment because of collateral 

consequences, which are often not directly related to the 

offense committed or any proven public safety benefit; 

Whereas many States have laws that prohibit an individual 

with a criminal record from working in certain industries 

or obtaining professional licenses; 

Whereas education has also been shown to be a significant 

predictor of successful reentry into society; 

Whereas an individual with a criminal record often has a 

lower level of educational attainment than the general 

population and has significant difficulty acquiring admission to and funding for educational programs; 

Whereas an individual convicted of certain crimes is often 

barred from receiving the financial aid necessary to acquire additional skills and knowledge; 

Whereas an individual with a criminal record also often faces 

collateral consequences in securing a place to live; 

Whereas an individual with a criminal record is often barred 

from seeking access to public housing; 


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•SRES 102 IS 

Whereas an individual with a criminal record also often faces 

other collateral consequences, such as an inability to regain voting rights, volunteer in the community, and secure identification documentation; 

Whereas an individual who has been convicted and incarcerated may incur significant debt as a result of the conviction and incarceration; 

Whereas collateral consequences prevent millions of individuals in the United States from contributing fully to their 

families and communities; 

Whereas collateral consequences can contribute to recidivism, 

which increases crime and victimization and decreases 

public safety; 

Whereas the inability to find gainful employment and other 

collateral consequences of conviction inhibit the economic 

mobility of an individual with a criminal record, which 

can negatively impact the well-being of the children and 

the families of the individual for generations; 

Whereas the bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 

115–391) was signed into law on December 21, 2018, to 

increase opportunities for individuals incarcerated in 

Federal prison to participate in meaningful recidivism reduction programs and prepare for a second chance; 

Whereas the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law 110– 

199; 122 Stat. 657), which has resulted in the provision 

of reentry services to more than 164,000 individuals in 

49 States and the District of Columbia since its enactment, was reauthorized through the First Step Act of 

2018 (Public Law 115–391); 

Whereas April 21 marks the anniversary of the death of 

Charles Colson, who used his second chance following his 


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•SRES 102 IS 

incarceration for a Watergate-related crime to found 

Prison Fellowship, the largest outreach program to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families in the United 

States; and 

Whereas the designation of April as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’ 

can contribute to increased public awareness about the 

impact of collateral consequences, the need for closure for 

those who have paid their debt to society, and opportunities for individuals, employers, congregations, and communities to extend second chances: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 2019 as ‘‘Second Chance 

3 Month’’; 

4 (2) honors the work of communities, govern5 mental institutions, nonprofit organizations, con6 gregations, employers, and individuals to remove un7 necessary legal and societal barriers that prevent an 

8 individual with a criminal record from becoming a 

9 productive member of society; and 

10 (3) calls upon the people of the United States 

11 to observe Second Chance Month through actions 

12 and programs that promote awareness of those un13 necessary legal and social barriers and provide clo14 sure for individuals with a criminal record who have 

15 paid their debt to society. 

Æ 


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