| R 214 |
| 2026 -- H 8392 Enacted 04/02/2026 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| DESIGNATING APRIL OF 2026, TO BE "SECOND CHANCE MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Cruz, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Sanchez, Stewart, J. Brien, Giraldo, Felix, and Kennedy |
| Date Introduced: April 02, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, The Second Chance Act (SCA), passed in 2008, is the largest source of |
| federal funding established to break incarceration cycles and help people reenter their |
| communities after jail or prison; and |
| WHEREAS, The SCA has fueled significant drops in recidivism and has saved |
| governments money, made and kept neighborhoods safer, and is helping people lead healthy and |
| meaningful lives; and |
| WHEREAS, Second Chance Month (SCM) is a nationally-recognized celebration of |
| second chances, fresh starts, and breaking barriers for people who have been impacted by the |
| legal system; and |
| WHEREAS, Many of the statistical figures cited in relation to these issues are based on |
| studies and analyses that may differ in methodology and scope, and therefore should be |
| understood as estimates rather than precise or uniform measures; and |
| WHEREAS, Between 70 - 100 million people in the United States have a past arrest or |
| conviction record, which includes arrests that did not lead to convictions, misdemeanors, and |
| felonies, but can create significant barriers to employment, housing, education, and long-term |
| stability; and |
| WHEREAS, A staggering 92-96 percent of employers, 90 percent of landlords, and |
| approximately 66 to more than 90 percent of all types of educational institutions, utilize |
| background checks, which often limits opportunities for those persons with records. In addition, |
| over 42,000 state and federal restrictions impose additional obstacles, many affecting essential |
| aspects of life; and |
| WHEREAS, Past arrest or conviction records have resulted in nearly half of all children |
| in the United States currently having at least one parent with a record; and |
| WHEREAS, Millions of people with arrest or conviction records report difficulty getting |
| a job and maintaining employment and they are 50 percent less likely to get a callback for a job |
| interview, contributing to cycles of unemployment and poverty; and |
| WHEREAS, Support for the sealing of eligible records for people who have remained |
| crime-free for a period of time is: |
| • A person is no more likely to commit an offense after staying crime-free for 4 to 7 |
| years than anyone else; |
| • Studies have shown that within one year of having a record sealed, people were 11 |
| percent more likely to be employed and saw an over 22 percent increase in income; and |
| • Over 15 million people are currently eligible for full or partial record sealing in the 12 |
| states, representing the full political spectrum, that have already enacted legislation to meet |
| sealing of eligible records criteria; and |
| WHEREAS, The purpose and vision of Second Chance Month is to no longer define a |
| person only by their past record, but to provide them with a fair opportunity to work, get an |
| education and a job, and reach their full potential; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims April of 2026, to be "Second Chance Month" and reinforces support and commitment |
| to providing second chances; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Meko Lincoln and Dawn Trimble, Board of |
| Directors, The Formerly Incarcerated Union of Rhode Island, Cara Zimmerman, MD, MBA, |
| Chairperson, Project Weber/RENEW. |
| ======== |
| LC004531 |
| ======== |