For many, the spring season is one of resetting, decluttering, and looking ahead to things like warm weather, backyard barbeques, beach days, and family trips. But for the 1 in 3 people in America who are living with an arrest or conviction record — and the hundreds of millions of people who care about someone who has a record — April is also an important recognition of the impact that records have on people, families, and communities. By observing April as Second Chance Month, we create a time for reflection on redemption.
Second Chance Month has been recognized federally through a Presidential proclamation since 2018. The observance aims to raise awareness about the barriers faced by people with arrest and conviction records, and the importance of helping people move past those records and gain access to true second chances.
There are over 46,000 state and federal restrictions that limit opportunities for people with records — and the majority of those consequences are related to employment, housing, and education. As someone living with a record of my own, I'm all too familiar with these collateral consequences. But through my own lived experience, and through my work leading a nonprofit focused on second chances, I know first-hand the power of redemption. And I believe we all deserve a Clean Slate.
It benefits all of us to care about second chances for people living with records. If you're wondering why you as a business leader, individual, or relation to someone with a record should care, here are three reasons second chances are beneficial.
1. Giving people a second chance boosts our economy.
According to a report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the United States loses up to $87 billion in annual GDP due to the underemployment of people with records. When we break down the barriers to employment for people living with a record, we have an opportunity to increase the nation's GDP, decrease the burden on taxpayers by streamlining the record clearance process and easing the strain on court administrators, and set people up for success and stability through gainful employment.
2. Giving people a second chance promotes community safety.
Research has consistently shown that people who are employed, housed, and able to contribute to their communities are less likely to be arrested than those who are unemployed and living in unstable conditions. Once people "have been crime-free for a few years, they have reached what researchers call the "point of redemption" — meaning they are no more likely than anyone in the general population to commit a crime."There is bipartisan support for legislation to clear records after this point and increase public safety by expanding opportunity for those impacted by their records.
3. Giving people a second chance is the right thing to do.
Most of us don't want to live with a two-tiered justice system where the wealthy can afford a second chance and the working class is left behind. Everyone in America should have a fair opportunity to make a living, take care of their families, and participate in their communities. As I've shared through my initiative, those who have served their time and now live a life without crime deserve a chance for freedom and the opportunities it brings. Expanding access to second chances through automatic record clearance levels the playing field, and gives everyone a fair shot.
My nonprofit, the Clean Slate Initiative (CSI), is a national bipartisan organization that works to expand and automate access to record clearance. At CSI, we're all about second chances, and the legislation we've helped pass in recent years is already creating a real impact for a lot of people: in the last six years, Clean Slate legislation has enabled record clearance for more than 3 million people in America.
When I got my arrest record, I was a young single mother who was struggling to take care of her family, and now, I'm the CEO of an award-winning nonprofit fighting for people who have been where I've been — and I'm not an anomaly. I firmly believe when we give people a chance — a true shot at redemption — they'll make the most of the opportunities they're given access to.
If I could give advice to anyone with a record, or anyone who cares about someone with a record, it would be: don't give up on second chances. We are all worthy of redemption, and when we pursue that redemption, we're pursuing our dreams. That's what this month is all about.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
