[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1222 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1222
Recognizing the designation of the week of April 24 through April 30 as
the annual ``National Reentry Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 28, 2026
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs.
Beatty, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jackson of
Illinois, Ms. Simon, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Cohen, and Mr.
Thanedar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the designation of the week of April 24 through April 30 as
the annual ``National Reentry Week''.
Whereas, despite making up only 5 percent of the global population, the United
States has more than 20 percent of the world's prison population;
Whereas the incarcerated population has increased by 500 percent to 2,000,000
people in jail or prison, a rate of incarceration which outpaces both
crime and population growth;
Whereas the carceral system is unequipped to manage this growing population due
to persisting challenges to recruit and retain staff: the Bureau of
Prisons has over 2,500 vacant correctional officer positions and over
7,000 vacant positions;
Whereas mass incarceration is costly to Federal and State budgets, costing State
governments an estimated $64,000,000,000 each year and costing the
United States Government over $80,000,000,000 every year;
Whereas the patterns of mass incarceration and recidivism are costly, and public
funds would be better invested in community development, education, and
workforce development;
Whereas the Federal Government spends approximately $42,000 annually on each
incarcerated individual, and State governments spend between $23,000 to
$307,463 annually on each incarcerated individual;
Whereas 1 in every 3 adults in America has a criminal record, and 95 percent of
incarcerated people will be released from prison and will reenter
society;
Whereas approximately 35 percent of all prisoners have a diagnosed mental health
disorder, and incarceration is known to be inherently damaging to the
mental health of prisoners, often causing symptoms of PTSD in formerly
incarcerated persons;
Whereas the population of detained persons is increasing among key demographics,
with significant overrepresentation of minority demographics among
incarcerated populations;
Whereas, depending on their social and economic status, formerly incarcerated
individuals are more likely to face unemployment upon release, thus
leading to higher rates of recidivism, as unemployment correlates with a
higher likelihood to reoffend;
Whereas 11,400,000 individuals cycle through local jails annually, and 650,000
reenter their communities from prisons, and these individuals face
thousands of restrictions to reintegration at the Federal, State, and
local levels;
Whereas formerly incarcerated individuals face significant restrictions to
education, employment, housing, credit, and stability, which contribute
to the concerningly high recidivism rate in the United States of 70
percent of former convicts reoffending;
Whereas the Department of Justice must take steps to make the criminal justice
system more fair and efficient in order to reduce recidivism, and
support the reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals as
participatory, contributing members of their communities;
Whereas supporting successful reentry is an unavoidable element of ensuring and
promoting public safety by supporting the reentry of former convicts to
productive, law-abiding lives; and
Whereas the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons are encouraged to
coordinate and engage in reentry events, efforts, and learning
opportunities at their facilities: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
(1) the annual ``National Reentry Week''; and
(2) that--
(A) the United States is experiencing a mass
incarceration crisis with mass incarceration rates
increasing by 500 percent since 1970, and mass
incarceration and cycles of structural marginalization
have created dangerously high rates of recidivism;
(B) the Nation has a responsibility to advance
reentry programs that promote opportunity, bolster
public safety, and grant formerly incarcerated
individuals the opportunity to reenter communities with
financial and mental stability;
(C) to better mitigate high recidivism rates,
Congress must work toward addressing existing obstacles
to successful reentry by increasing access for formerly
incarcerated individuals to--
(i) halfway homes and housing resources
upon release;
(ii) education programs while incarcerated;
(iii) opportunities for higher education
grants following their release;
(iv) occupational training opportunities
while incarcerated; and
(v) access to mental health services;
(D) to improve reentry outcomes for the formerly
incarcerated, Congress must invest in criminal justice
frameworks that address high rates of recidivism and
support the individual success and rights of
incarcerated individuals before and after reentry;
(E) incarcerated persons must have access to
resources and programs that encourage their successful
reentry; and
(F) ``National Reentry Week'' is an opportunity--
(i) to deepen the national conversation
about recidivism in the United States;
(ii) to amplify and invest in community-
driven policy, research, and recidivism
solutions;
(iii) to improve the outcomes of
incarcerated persons upon reentry into society;
(iv) to provide a national platform for
entities centered on formerly incarcerated
persons and their efforts to ensure the
successful reentry of formerly incarcerated
persons into society;
(v) to support efforts to increase funding
and advance policies for organizations that
provide housing, occupational training, and
mental health resources for incarcerated
persons reentering society; and
(vi) to invest in evidence-based policy
solutions to create safer communities across
the Nation.
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