III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 549 

Designating April 2020 as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 20, 2020 

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

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 2020 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 citizens of 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 individuals returning from Federal and State prisons have paid their debt for committing crimes but still 

face significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in 

this preamble as ‘‘collateral consequences’’); 


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•SRES 549 IS 

Whereas collateral consequences for an individual returning 

from a Federal or State prison are mandatory and take 

effect automatically, regardless of— 

(1) whether there is a nexus between the crime and 

public safety; 

(2) the seriousness of the crime; 

(3) the time that has passed since the individual 

committed the crime; or 

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

earn back the trust of the public; 

Whereas, for individuals returning to their communities from 

Federal and State prisons, gaining meaningful employment is one of the most significant predictors of successful reentry and has been shown to reduce 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 

offenses the individuals 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, in addition to employment, education has also been 

shown to be a significant predictor of successful reentry 

for individuals returning from Federal and State prisons; 

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; 


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•SRES 549 IS 

Whereas an individual who has been 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— 

(1) faces collateral consequences in securing a place 

to live; and 

(2) is often barred from seeking access to public 

housing; 

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 

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 prisons to participate in meaningful recidivism 

reduction programs and prepare for their second chances; 

Whereas the programs authorized by the Second Chance Act 

of 2007 (Public Law 110–199)— 

(1) have provided reentry services to more than 

164,000 individuals in 49 States and the District of Columbia since the date of enactment of the Act; and 

(2) were reauthorized by the First Step Act of 2018 

(Public Law 115–391); 


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•SRES 549 IS 

Whereas the anniversary of the death of Charles Colson, who 

used his second chance following his incarceration for a 

Watergate-related crime to found Prison Fellowship, the 

largest program in the United States that provides outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, 

falls on April 21; and 

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

may contribute to— 

(1) increased public awareness about— 

(A) the impact of collateral consequences; and 

(B) the need for closure for individuals with a 

criminal record who have paid their debt; and 

(2) opportunities for individuals, employers, congregations, and communities to extend second chances to 

those individuals: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 2020 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 in8 dividuals with criminal records from becoming pro9 ductive members 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— 


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•SRES 549 IS 

1 (A) promote awareness of those unneces2 sary legal and social barriers; and 

3 (B) provide closure for individuals with a 

4 criminal record who have paid their debt. 

Æ 


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