Title: A resolution designating April 2019 as "Second Chance Month".
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
This resolution designates April 2019 as Second Chance Month to promote awareness of unnecessary legal and social barriers that prevent an individual with a criminal record from becoming a productive member of society.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 102 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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'');
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;
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 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates April 2019 as ``Second Chance Month'';
            (2) honors the work of communities, governmental 
        institutions, nonprofit organizations, congregations, 
        employers, and individuals to remove unnecessary legal and 
        societal barriers that prevent an individual with a criminal 
        record from becoming a productive member of society; and
            (3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        Second Chance Month through actions and programs that promote 
        awareness of those unnecessary legal and social barriers and 
        provide closure for individuals with a criminal record who have 
        paid their debt to society.
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