A resolution designating April 2025 as "Second Chance Month".
This is a Senate resolution designating April 2025 as “Second Chance Month.” It expresses the Senate’s support for the value of redemption and second chances, and it highlights the challenges faced by people who have criminal records due to collateral consequences—automatic legal and societal barriers that can hinder employment, housing, education, and other aspects of reintegration. The resolution references existing reentry programs under the Second Chance Act and the First Step Act, notes their impact, and designates April 2025 as a time to raise awareness and encourage actions that offer closure and expand opportunities for individuals who have paid their debt to society. It is a ceremonial designation, not a law or funding authorization.
Key Points
- 1The Senate designates April 2025 as “Second Chance Month.”
- 2It emphasizes the concept of collateral consequences—automatic barriers that persist after conviction, regardless of the specifics of the offense or the individual's efforts at rehabilitation.
- 3The resolution notes that meaningful employment and education are key predictors of successful reintegration and that many barriers arise from criminal records.
- 4It cites the Second Chance Act (2007) and the First Step Act (2018) as foundational supports for reentry programs, noting that these programs have served hundreds of thousands of individuals.
- 5It acknowledges the death anniversary of Charles Colson (founder of Prison Fellowship) and calls on “Second Chance Month” to raise awareness of barriers and to promote closure for individuals who have paid their debt, encouraging actions by individuals, employers, communities, and institutions.