A house RESOLUTION

To declare April 2024 as "Second chance Month" in South Carolina and to commend the Soteria Community development Corporation on its outstanding work in assisting formerly incarcerated individuals with reentering society for the past Twenty-Five years.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives deeply appreciate the critical services provided by the Soteria Community Development Corporation (CDC), a nonprofit organization which has for the past twenty-five years played a critical role in providing the necessary resources for successful reentry into society; and

Whereas, individuals returning from prison and those who have paid their debt after committing a crime face significant barriers and often struggle to obtain housing, employment, or education; regain voting rights; or volunteer in their community. In addition, they often must pay for significant debt that arises as a result of their conviction or incarceration; and

Whereas, the Soteria CDC offers a holistic approach for formerly incarcerated individuals to help them navigate and successfully overcome the barriers that can make reentering society difficult. Continued collaborative efforts with state and local organizations that focus on alleviating the complexity of this transition are vital to both ensuring the success of people reentering society and to reducing recidivism; and

Whereas, more formerly incarcerated people return to Greenville County than any other county in South Carolina. As a result, the services that Soteria CDC provide are in great need, and the organization has been dutifully serving the Greenville community for the past twenty-five years since it was founded in 1999 by Jerry Blassingame; and

Whereas, recognizing the importance of providing support to individuals reentering society following incarceration, the South Carolina House of Representatives is please to designate April as "Second Chance Month" in order to contribute to increased public awareness about the need for closure for those who have paid their debt and to encourage the creation of opportunities for individuals, employers, congregations, and communities to extend second chances. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, declare April 2024 as "Second Chance Month" in South Carolina and commend the Soteria Community Development Corporation on its outstanding work in assisting formerly incarcerated individuals with reentering society for the past twenty-five years.

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