Title
Recognizing April 2026 as Second Chance Month in the City of Philadelphia and honoring the work of reentry professionals, community organizations, employers, advocates, families, and returning citizens who strengthen the City by supporting successful reentry.
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WHEREAS, Second Chance Month is a national observance held each April to raise awareness of the barriers faced by people returning to their communities after incarceration and to promote meaningful opportunities for successful reentry; and
WHEREAS, Second Chance Month was founded by Prison Fellowship in 2017 and has grown into a broad national effort to advance public awareness, expand opportunity, and support policies and practices that help returning citizens rebuilding their lives; and
WHEREAS, Successful reentry promotes public safety, strengthens families, reduces barriers to employment, housing, education, and health care, and helps returning citizens contribute fully to the civic and economic life of their communities; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s Division of Reentry and Office of Public Safety have recognized Second Chance Month through local programming including neighborhood resource center activities, record-clearing clinics, coalition planning, career empowerment events, and resource fairs designed to connect justice-impacted residents and their families with practical support; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Reentry Coalition reports around 25,000 formerly incarcerated citizens return to Philadelphia annually, and according to the Pennsylvania DOC’s 2022 Recidivism Report, the most recent overall recidivism rate is 64.7 percent within three years of release, and of those who were reincarcerated within a three-year span, 75 percent recidivated within the first 16 months after release, indicating a clear need for focus and intentionality around the reentry processes and systems available for residents of the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia recognizes the dignity, humanity, and potential of all people, including those who have completed their sentences and are working to return home, reunite with family, secure employment, clear eligible records, access housing and health services, and become fully reintegrated members of the community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes April 2026 as Second Chance Month in the City of Philadelphia and commends the City’s reentry professionals, service providers, advocates, employers, and community partners for their work in expanding opportunity and restoring hope for returning citizens.
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