In the United States, 1 in 3 adults has a criminal record, which limits their access to education, jobs, housing, voting, and other things necessary for a full and productive life. Even after their debt to society is paid, these men and women face some 44,000 documented barriers to success, in addition to widespread social stigma.
This all occurs against the backdrop of the criminal justice system's stark racial imbalances. People of color—particularly Black Americans—are disproportionately represented at every stage of the U.S. criminal justice system, from arrest to reintegration. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we continue the important work of raising awareness about the challenges men and women face upon reentry as they seek health care, housing, and employment.
Prison Fellowship® is committed to advancing justice that restores and reflects the God-given value of every person. For more than 45 years, we have been advocating for more proportional accountability, constructive corrections culture, and second chances. Prison Fellowship spearheaded Second Chance Month® in 2017 to raise awareness of the barriers faced by returning citizens and to unlock second chances for these men and women who dream of a better tomorrow.
WHAT IS SECOND CHANCE MONTH?
We all want to be treated with dignity and have the opportunity to reach our full potential. After making a wrong choice, we want the chance to make amends and rebuild what was broken. Led by Prison Fellowship every April, Second Chance Month is a nationwide campaign to unlock opportunities for the tens of millions of Americans with a criminal record.
“I think it's important that we work to remove government barriers to housing, education, and work. Don't look at people's past mistakes. Look at their qualifications, look at who they are, and see if they're capable of doing the work.”
Jermaine Wilson, Prison Fellowship Mission Ambassador
TIMELINE
2017
Prison Fellowship observes April as Second Chance Month for the first time in 2017. More than 77 organizations join the nonpartisan effort as official second chance partners. Throughout April, Prison Fellowship mobilizes individuals, businesses, organizations, legislators, and other supporters to sign petitions, post to social media, attend special events, and amplify the call for second-chance opportunities in the United States.
March 30—Prison Fellowship, the NAACP, the Heritage Foundation, ACLU, Koch Industries, and the NACDL declare April 2017 as Second Chance Month
Throughout April—Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and St. Paul, Minnesota, also proclaim April 2017 as Second Chance Month.
April 8—Prison Fellowship hosts the first Second Chance 5K at Sloan's Lake Park in Denver.
April 23—Prison Fellowship and Minnesota partners host a Second Chance 5K at Concordia University's Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul; in solidarity, prisoners at Lino Lakes, Shakopee, and Stillwater facilities run their own 5Ks behind bars.
April 26—The United States Senate unanimously passes a resolution declaring April 2017 as Second Chance Month.
2018
For a second consecutive year, Prison Fellowship declares April as Second Chance Month. More than 200 businesses, congregations, organizations, and supporters join with Prison Fellowship as official second chance partners. (Partnership does not indicate support for any particular legislation or policies.)
Prison Fellowship's President and CEO James J. Ackerman and Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy Craig DeRoche meet with Vice President Mike Pence to discuss Prison Fellowship's work and the nation's readiness for second chances.
March 30—The White House issues proclamation recognizing April as Second Chance Month.
Throughout April—The U.S. House introduces a Second Chance Month resolution for April 2018. Thirteen states and six other jurisdictions also recognize April as Second Chance Month.
April 7—Prison Fellowship organizes the first Road to Second Chances Prayer Walk in Washington, D.C.
April 22—The second annual Second Chance 5K is held in St. Paul, Minnesota; various organizations and individuals host additional Second Chance 5Ks throughout the country.
April 27—The U.S. Senate passes a resolution declaring April 2018 as Second Chance Month.
2019
The White House, along with 23 states and the District of Columbia, declares April as Second Chance Month for a second consecutive year. Prison Fellowship partners with more than 300 other organizations—like the NAACP, the Heritage Foundation, ACLU, and Koch Industries—who are leading the charge to unlock the potential of formerly incarcerated people.
March 28—Prison Fellowship kicks off the third annual Second Chance Month, alongside a coalition of more than 320 Second Chance Month partners, at the historic Watergate Hotel—a fitting reminder of the second chance story of our founder, the late Chuck Colson.
March 29—For the second consecutive year, the White House issues a proclamation recognizing April as Second Chance Month.
Throughout April—The U.S. House and Senate introduce Second Chance Month resolutions for April 2019, garnering 18 bipartisan co-sponsors. Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C., also recognize April as Second Chance Month. #SecondChanceMonth Twitter chats feature 26 guest panelists, including Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee and U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, reaching 17.3 million people from 68 countries with social media posts in April.
April 4—Prison Fellowship hosts a congressional briefing on occupational licensing reform, sponsored by Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif.
April 6—Prison Fellowship organizes the second annual Road to Second Chances event in Washington, D.C., while partners lead their own prayer walks in communities across the country.
April 13—The third annual Second Chance 5K takes place in St. Paul, Minnesota; additional Second Chance 5Ks happen throughout the country—including several inside of prisons.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on U.S. criminal justice and prison systems. Prison Fellowship and our partners adapt Second Chance Month 2020 events from in-person to virtual in response to the virus.
Throughout April, social media campaigns, prayer meetings, Twitter chats, and other activities centered around Second Chance Month take place around the nation. Prayer leaders in Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Lincoln, Oklahoma City, Fresno, and San Bernardino join forces for a Road to Second Chances Virtual Prayer Meeting, where community members from all these cities come together to cover our nation with prayer. More than 380 partners join Prison Fellowship in advocating for second chances, and several states declare their support for Second Chance Month.
March 27—Prison Fellowship and Faith & Law co-host a briefing for congressional staffers on second chances and the pandemic's impact on reentry.
April 1—Prison Fellowship pivots to celebrate the fourth annual Second Chance Month with a virtual gala.
April 1—The White House issues a proclamation, signed by the president, declaring April as Second Chance Month for the third year in a row.
April 18—The Road to Second Chances Virtual Prayer Meeting features real-life stories of people living out their second chance and opportunities to pray for all those affected by crime and incarceration.
Throughout April—Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., joined Prison Fellowship and the White House to declare April Second Chance Month.
2021
April 2021 is a watershed year for Second Chance Month, as the movement rapidly grows and deepens across the U.S. The U.S. Senate officially recognizes April as Second Chance Month, in addition to the White House’s official declaration for a fourth consecutive year. Together with more than 600 partnering organizations, Prison Fellowship leverages technology, social media, and other resources to creatively promote awareness for and engage support of second chances for the thousands of men and women who have paid their debt to society. We continue to advocate for a more restorative criminal justice system for all, including proportional sentencing, more constructive correctional culture, and second chances for people with a criminal record.
March 31—President Biden proclaims April 2021 as Second Chance Month.
April 11—Virtual Second Chance Sunday Service invites Christians to support second chance opportunities for people with a criminal record, remembering our ultimate second chance in Christ.
April 17—Road to Second Chances Virtual Prayer Meeting gathers advocates to lift up people with a criminal record as they seek their second chance.
April 29—U.S. Senate declares April 2021 as Second Chance Month; Virtual Federal Policy Briefing on Advancing Second Chance Policies in 2021 and Beyond takes place; Virtual Second Chance Month Gala is held to celebrate the dignity and potential of more than 70 million Americans living with a criminal record.
2022
April 2022 is our sixth consecutive year celebrating April as Second Chance Month, and the movement is rapidly growing and deepening across the United States. Prison Fellowship, along with sponsors The Just Trust and Justice Action Network, is raising awareness of the importance of second chances through targeted public awareness campaigns, policy briefings, and events across the country. More than 700 churches, businesses, and organizations join Prison Fellowship as official Second Chance Month partners.
April 1, 2022 — President Biden proclaims April 2022 Second Chance Month.
Throughout April — Advocates from all 50 states send 18,045 letters to lawmakers in support of Second Chance Month, and 26 states and D.C. officially recognize April 2022 as Second Chance Month. More than 736 business, churches, and organizations hold events to celebrate second chances.
April 3 — More than 5,784 people attend Second Chance Sunday at National Community Church featuring a special sermon by Pastor Mark Batterson on the importance of redemption and second chances.
April 6, 13, 20, and 27 — Thirty-seven panelists are featured in four Second Chance Month Twitter chats. Criminal justice experts discuss second chance topics, as well as first-hand accounts of people living out their second chance.
April 8 — In partnership with Faith and Law, Prison Fellowship hosts the event "Advancing a Culture of Second Chances" for Congressional staffers to discuss second chance policies.
April 28 — More than 660 people join the virtual Second Chance Month Gala. Businesses, communities, churches, and families gather to hear transformation stories and conversations highlighting the need for second chances.
April 30 — More than 200 people attend the Road to Second Chances Prayer Walk in Oklahoma City. Speakers from around the country share personal stories of living out their second chance.
2023
April 2023 was our seventh consecutive year celebrating April as Second Chance Month, and the movement has rapidly grown and deepened across the United States.
In addition to Congress and the White House, 23 states and Washington, D.C. officially recognized April 2023 as Second Chance Month. View their resolutions and proclamations here.
Also, more than 880 churches, businesses, and organizations joined Prison Fellowship as official Second Chance Month partners.
April 12 — Prison Fellowship’s advocacy team hosted a public Twitter chat on the theme “Are Second Chances a Key to Safer Streets?” This interactive dialogue featured a series of discussions on housing, fines and fees, employment, and other issues facing returning citizens.
April 14 — A Capitol Hill briefing was hosted by Prison Fellowship in partnership with Faith and Law during which Congressional staffers discussed second chance policies.
April 15 — A Road to Second Chances Prayer Walk saw many supporters prayerfully take to the streets in support of new beginnings for many in their Ohio communities.
April 30 — 2023's Second Chance Sunday service was held at Glad Tidings International Church of God in Christ in Hayward, California, and featured testimonies of second chances alongside a message by Bishop J.W. Macklin. The service was held on Sunday, April 30, but can still be viewed on demand.
Year by year, the conversation is shifting, and an ever-increasing number of jurisdictions, businesses, churches, and organizations are working to make second chances a part of their culture—not just in April, but every month of the year.
“I'm a living testament of what second chances can do in the life of a returning citizen.”
Alice Marie Johnson, criminal justice advocate and former prisoner
IN THE NEWS
Second Chance Month has received widespread recognition by media outlets and other groups every year.
SECOND CHANCE MONTH IN THE NEWS
- Second chances are the public safety opportunity we can’t afford to miss (Washington Examiner, 4/18/2023)
- Viewpoint: Give returning citizens second chance (Grand Forks Herald, 4/19/2023)
- Second Chance Month: The Church and incarcerated individuals go together (Christian Post, 4/26/2023)
- Talking Second Chances – Sammy Perez from Prison Fellowship (Spreaker, 1/2023)
OPINION EDITORIALS ON SECOND CHANCE MONTH
- Second Chance Month: The Church and incarcerated individuals go together – Connecticut Pardon Team (The Christian Post, 5/3/2023)
- Mayor Jermaine Wilson and Second Chances (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 5/1/2023)
- Second Chance Month: The Church and prisoners go together (The Christian Post, 4/27/2023)
- Criminal Justice: 2nd Chance After Prison Can Lead Way to Safer America (The Daily Signal, 4/27/2023)
- Viewpoint: Give returning citizens second chance (Grand Forks Herald, 4/19/2023)
- Second chances are the public safety opportunity we can’t afford to miss (Washington Examiner, 4/18/2023)
- Sammy Perez from Prison Fellowship (Spreaker, 4/18/2023)
- Law enforcement needs help to face a mounting behavioral crisis (Dallas Morning News, 4/13/2023)
- To cut crime, reduce barriers to higher education in prison (The Oklahoman, 4/3/2023)
- Success Begins with Second Chances: ABPP Celebrates National Second Chance Month (Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, 4/1/2023)
- ‘We need to heal’: Kids of incarcerated parents score at Mesa church during hoops camp (Arizona Republic, 3/27/2023)
- Agencies unite for Second Chances forum (The Courier, 3/24/2023)
- Oklahoma supports restoring financial aid to incarcerated students (The Black Wall Street Times, 3/12/2023)
- From prison to the voting booth (WORLD, 3/10/2023)
- Our Take: It’s time to get pretrial justice right in Michigan (Holland Sentinel, 3/29/2022)
- Ex-felon L. Stephen Barbee 'should get a pardon' (The Kansas City Star, 3/27/2022)
- The State Of Tennessee Celebrates National Second Chance Month With Regional Community Resource Fairs During The Month of April (The Tennessee Tribune, 3/28/2022)
- Inglett: A missed opportunity to restore community and dignity (roanoke.com, 3/31/2022)
- A Proclamation on Second Chance Month, 2022 (The White House, 3/31/2022)
- D.C. church focuses Sunday message on helping former prisoners (The Washington Times, 3/31/2022)
- Could former inmates solve the labor shortage? (World News Group, 4/6/2022)
- Governor Burgum declares April Second Chance month/ (Hot 97 FM, 4/5/2022)
- Looking Forward Celebrates Second Chance Month (Looking Forward, 4/5/2022)
- Second Chances Community Forum Being Held (WFIN, 4/6/2022)
- There are no ‘monsters’ behind bars (NJ.com, 4/26/2021)
- On the highway of life, which road are you on? (Monroe Journal, 4/21/2021)
- I’m living proof of the power of redemption through restored voting rights (Courier Journal, 4/20/2021)
- Clean slate promotes public safety, racial justice and economic growth (The CT Mirror, 4/8/2021)
- Congress Should Include Second Chances in Coronavirus Relief Bill (The Hill, 5/6/2020)
- An Opportunity to Celebrate Second Chances (The Detroit News, 4/16/2020)
- The Gospel of Second Chances (Christian Post, 5/10/2019)
- Second Chance Month Provides Second Chances (The Washington Times, 4/23/2019)
- Second Chances Are Rung on Ladder to New Life (Naples News, 5/5/2018)
- One in Four American Adults Lives with a Criminal Record—It's Time for Them to Get a Second Chance (Fox News, 4/30/2018)
SECOND CHANCE MONTH PRESS RELEASES
- Prison Fellowship’s Statement after President Biden's Announcement of Second Chance Month Initiatives (Prison Fellowship, 5/1/2023)
- Road to Second Chances Prayer Walk (Prison Fellowship, 4/12/2023)
- Prison Fellowship’s Statement After Biden Administration Declares April 2023 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/3/2023)
- Prison Fellowship’s Statement on Biden Administration’s Clemency Grants and Reentry Initiatives (Prison Fellowship, 4/26/2022)
- Prison Fellowship Recognizes April as Second Chance Month for the Sixth Year (Prison Fellowship, 4/4/2022)
- President Biden Proclaims April 2022 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/1/2022)
- U.S. Senate Follows White House in Declaring April Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/30/2021)
- President Biden Proclaims April 2021 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/5/2021)
- Prison Fellowship Leads April as Second Chance Month for the Fifth Year (Prison Fellowship, 4/1/2021)
- White House Proclaims April 2020 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/1/2020)
- White House Proclaims April 2019 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 3/30/2019)
- Senate Resolution Names April 2018 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/27/2018)
- White House Proclaims April 2018 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 3/31/2018)
SECOND CHANCE MONTH BLOG POSTS
- Confronting Unjust Narratives (Prison Fellowship, 10/24/2023)
- But How Can We Help? Q&A With a Business Leader (Prison Fellowship, 4/26/2023)
- But How Can We Help? Q&A With a Prison Ministry Pastor (Prison Fellowship, 4/19/2023)
- Road to Second Chances Prayer Walk (Prison Fellowship, 4/12/2023)
- But How Can We Help? Q&A With a Reentry Specialist (Prison Fellowship, 4/6/2023)
- People With a Criminal Record Face All Kinds of Barriers. Are You Curious About How Your Church Can #BeTheKey? (Prison Fellowship, 4/4/2023)
- People With a Criminal Record Face All Kinds of Barriers. Are You Curious About How You Can #BeTheKey? (Prison Fellowship, 4/4/2023)
- Prison Fellowship’s Statement After Biden Administration Declares April 2023 as Second Chance Month (Prison Fellowship, 4/3/2023)
- Former Prisoners Can Become Productive Citizens (Prison Fellowship, 4/27/2022)
- Reconciling Families to Break the Cycle of Incarceration (Prison Fellowship, 4/20/2022)
- Second Chance Hiring: The Benefits of Employing Returning Citizens (Prison Fellowship, 4/13/2022)
- Can My Church Minister to Returning Citizens? (Prison Fellowship, 4/6/2022)
- A Way for Churches to Honor the Dignity of Formerly Incarcerated People (Prison Fellowship, 4/21/2021)
- Evangelical Christians Must Take Action to Love Thy Neighbor (Prison Fellowship, 3/11/2021)
- California’s Incarcerated Firefighters and the Fight for Second Chances (Prison Fellowship, 10/14/2020)
- Second Chance Month 2020 Highlights (Prison Fellowship, 5/12/2020)
- Thank You for Believing in Second Chances! Second Chance Month 2019 Highlights (Prison Fellowship, 5/1/2019)
- Second Chances at Work: How One Company Built a Work Culture of Second Chances (Prison Fellowship, 4/12/2019)
- Second Chance Month Celebrates Human Dignity (Prison Fellowship, 3/26/2018)
- America is Ready for Prison Reform—Will Washington Respond? (Prison Fellowship, 2/5/2018)
“We believe it's possible for people to rise from their broken past, make amends, and help restore the communities they once harmed. This growing movement of second chances should embolden policymakers to unlock doors of opportunity and allow more Americans with a criminal record to have the freedom to pursue a new beginning.”
Heather Rice-Minus, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship
SECOND CHANCE STORIES
Every person has dignity and potential. But 1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record, limiting their futures. Hear from former prisoners on life after prison and join Prison Fellowship as we unlock brighter futures for the 70 million Americans who have repaid their debt to society.
READ STORIES ABOUT SECOND CHANCES
WE BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES
Second Chance Month recognizes the basic, God-given dignity and potential of returning citizens. When we create a culture of second chances, we support justice, reduce recidivism, and protect public safety.
If you share our passion for breaking down barriers, we invite you to celebrate Second Chance Month with us! On our website, Prison Fellowship has listed many ways for you to get involved. Use our quick and easy tool to send a prewritten letter to your lawmakers and request that they take action to support second chances. Spread the word about #SecondChanceMonth on social media.
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