Second Chance Month

President Biden declared April to be “Second Chance Month.” The Second Chance Act of 2007 was signed into law by President George W. Bush on April 9, 2008 after passing through both houses of Congress with broad bipartisan support. At the signing, President Bush said “America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.”

The Second Chance Act was the inspiration for the name of this nonprofit and we keep April 9 as an important date to remember. There has been a lot of activity around Second Chance activities this month. I will be speaking on panels at events hosted by Local First Arizona’s “The Hustle Hour,” which will focus on employment issues and another by Rasa, focusing on mitigating the impact of criminal history. Registration links to both events are on the SCT homepage, secondchancetucson.org.

When the gates of prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life, but there are major obstacles to getting there. People need support, connection and opportunity. Improving employment opportunities, clearing criminal histories, providing stable housing, reliable transportation, and reducing stigma is a tall order, but one that the community as a whole must choose to meet. Looks like this will take more than one month a year.