SECOND CHANCE MONTH 2019

For the second straight year, the White House declared April Second Chance™ Month to help unlock second chances for the tens of millions of Americans with a criminal record.

"This second proclamation gives us hope in our work to help people with a criminal record reach their God-given potential in life,” said Craig DeRoche, senior vice president of advocacy and public policy at Prison Fellowship^®. “The barriers placed on people who have paid their debt to society wastes human potential and adds to recidivism, ultimately jeopardizing public safety."

Prison Fellowship has spearheaded the nationwide effort to raise awareness about the barriers faced by returning citizens and unlock second chances for people with a criminal record.

April 2019 was the best Second Chance Month yet. In addition to the White House, 23 states and the District of Columbia officially recognized April as Second Chance Month.

 

The conversation continued online with #SecondChanceMonth Twitter chats that featured 26 guest panelists, including leaders such as Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee and U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. Panelists  and our online audience discussed a wide range of second chance topics throughout the month. Altogether, 17.3 million people from 68 countries saw #SecondChanceMonth social media posts in April.

Along with government bodies, Prison Fellowship also partnered 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.

Marcus Bullock is the CEO of a Second Chance Month Partner organization named Flikshop, a company that sends high-quality, security-friendly postcards to men and women in prison. Marcus was also formerly incarcerated. “I am thankful for my second chance, and we can’t overestimate what Second Chance Month will mean to so many others.”

Throughout April, prayer walks, a motorcycle ride, and Second Chance 5Ks— more than 30 events overall—all celebrated the potential of the 1 in 3 adults with a criminal record. In Minnesota, the state corrections director even ran alongside prisoners during a 5K inside a prison!

Year by year, the conversation is shifting, and an ever-increasing number of governments, businesses, churches, and organizations are working to make second chances a part of their culture every month of the year.