[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1846-S1847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

   SENATE RESOLUTION 440--DESIGNATING APRIL 2018 AS ``SECOND CHANCE 
                                MONTH''

  Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 440

       Whereas every individual is endowed with human dignity and 
     value;
       Whereas redemption and second chances are values of the 
     United States;
       Whereas millions of individuals in 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 returning individuals have paid their debt after 
     committing a crime but still

[[Page S1847]]

     face significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in 
     this preamble as ``collateral consequences'');
       Whereas collateral consequences are mandatory and take 
     effect automatically, regardless of--
       (1) a nexus to public safety;
       (2) the seriousness of the offense;
       (3) the time passed since the offense; or
       (4) the efforts of the individual to make amends or earn 
     back the trust of the public;
       Whereas gaining meaningful employment is 1 of the most 
     significant predictors of successful reentry and reducing 
     future criminal activity;
       Whereas many individuals who have previously been 
     incarcerated struggle to find employment because of 
     collateral consequences which are often not directly related 
     to the offense committed or any proven public safety benefit;
       Whereas many States have laws which prohibit an individual 
     with a criminal record from working in certain industries or 
     obtaining professional licenses;
       Whereas education has also been shown to be a significant 
     predictor of successful reentry;
       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 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 also often 
     faces collateral consequences in securing a place to live;
       Whereas an individual with a criminal record is often 
     barred from seeking access to public housing;
       Whereas an individual with a criminal record also often 
     faces other collateral consequences, such as an inability to 
     regain voting rights, volunteer in the community, and secure 
     identification documentation;
       Whereas an individual with a criminal record may incur 
     significant debt as a result of conviction and incarceration 
     of the individual;
       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 the inability to find gainful employment and other 
     collateral consequences of conviction inhibit the economic 
     mobility of an individual with a criminal record, which can 
     negatively impact the well-being of the children and the 
     families of the individual for generations;
       Whereas the President in the 2018 State of the Union 
     address expressed that, ``As America regains its strength, 
     this opportunity must be extended to all citizens. That is 
     why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help 
     former inmates who have served their time get a second chance 
     at life'';
       Whereas April 9, 2018, marks the 10-year anniversary of the 
     passage of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-199; 
     122 Stat. 657), which has provided reentry services to over 
     166,000 individuals in 49 States and the District of 
     Columbia;
       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 outreach program to prisoners, former prisoners, and 
     their families in the United States, falls on April 21; and
       Whereas the designation of April as ``Second Chance Month'' 
     can contribute to increased public awareness about the impact 
     of collateral consequences, the need for closure for those 
     who have paid their debt, and opportunities for individuals, 
     employers, congregations, and communities to extend second 
     chances: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates April 2018 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 an individual with a criminal 
     record from becoming a productive member of society; and
       (3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     Second Chance Month through actions and programs that promote 
     awareness of those unnecessary legal and social barriers and 
     provide closure for individuals with a criminal record who 
     have paid their debt.

                          ____________________