[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 652 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2nd Session
S. RES. 652
Designating April 2024 as ``Second Chance Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 18, 2024
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Markey, and Mrs. Capito)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
May 2, 2024
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating April 2024 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 sometimes 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 through some formal education programs;
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 can prevent millions of individuals in the
United States from contributing fully to their families and communities;
Whereas collateral consequences can have an impact on public safety by
contributing to recidivism;
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 inhibit 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 Senate--
(1) designates April 2024 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 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 criminal
records who have paid their debts to the community.
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