[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 54 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1875-S1876]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 549--DESIGNATING APRIL 2020 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. 549

       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 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 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 previously been 
     incarcerated struggle to find employment because of 
     collateral consequences, which are often 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 also 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;
       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 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 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 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)--
       (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);
       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--
          (A) the impact of collateral consequences; and
          (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

[[Page S1876]]

       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates April 2020 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 a criminal record 
     who have paid their debt.

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