[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 102--DESIGNATING APRIL 2019 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. 102

       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 neighbors returning to their communities have paid 
     their debt to society after committing a crime but still face 
     significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``collateral consequences'');
       Whereas returning individuals face collateral consequences 
     automatically, regardless of--
       (1) a nexus between the legal or societal barrier and 
     public safety;
       (2) the seriousness of the offense committed;
       (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 one of the most 
     significant predictors of successful reentry into society 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 that 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 into society;
       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 who has been convicted and 
     incarcerated may incur significant debt as a result of the 
     conviction and incarceration;
       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 bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-391) was signed into law on December 21, 2018, to 
     increase opportunities for individuals incarcerated in 
     Federal prison to participate in meaningful recidivism 
     reduction programs and prepare for a second chance;
       Whereas the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-199; 
     122 Stat. 657), which has resulted in the provision of 
     reentry services to more than 164,000 individuals in 49 
     States and the District of Columbia since its enactment, was 
     reauthorized through the First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-391);
       Whereas April 21 marks 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; 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 to society, and opportunities for 
     individuals, employers, congregations, and communities to 
     extend second chances: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates April 2019 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 to society.

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