Expressing support for the designation of April 2023 as "Second Chance Month".

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 312 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 312

Expressing support for the designation of April 2023 as ``Second Chance 
                                Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 20, 2023

  Mr. Cardenas (for himself, Mr. Trone, Mr. Westerman, and Mr. Bacon) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the designation of April 2023 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 many 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'');
Whereas collateral consequences for an individual returning from a Federal or 
        State prison are often 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 been incarcerated struggle to find employment 
        and access capital to start a small business 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 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;
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 collateral consequences have particularly impacted underserved 
        communities of color and community rates of employment, housing 
        stability, and recidivism;
Whereas the inability to find gainful employment and other collateral 
        consequences inhibits the economic mobility of an individual with a 
        criminal record, which can negatively impact the well-being of the 
        children and family of the individual for generations;
Whereas the bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-391; 132 Stat. 
        5194) 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; 122 Stat. 657)--

    (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; 132 Stat. 5194);

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--

    G    (A) the impact of collateral consequences; and

    G    (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

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of a ``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 individuals with criminal 
        records from becoming productive members of society; and
            (3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        ``Second Chance Month'' through actions and programs that--
                    (A) promote awareness of those unnecessary legal 
                and social barriers; and
                    (B) provide closure for individuals with a criminal 
                record who have paid their debt.
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