Second Chances

The time for a federal ‘clean slate’ measure is long overdue

Akua Amaning writes about why federal policymakers should pass clean slate legislation.

Rasheed and the Power of a Second Chance

Rasheed’s story sheds light on the barriers that so many young adults face when returning to their communities and the opportunities that second chance policies give to young adults who are looking to enter the labor market.

St. Cyr and the Power of a Second Chance

St. Cyr’s story illustrates the need for supportive reentry services for formerly incarcerated individuals who face barriers to accessing employment due to exclusionary policies.

Strengthening Access to Housing for People With Criminal Records Is Key to Successful Reentry

To facilitate the successful reentry of justice-involved citizens, the United States must bolster its federal, state, and local renter protections and build strong transitional housing programs.

Second Chance Policies Help Individuals Leaving Incarceration Build Financial Security

Second chance policies help returning citizens access education, workforce training, and other wraparound services to prepare for success in the labor market and build long-term financial stability.

How To Improve Employment Outcomes for Young Adults Leaving Incarceration

Young adults reentering communities after incarceration face many barriers to finding stable work, but forward-thinking policies can lead to better employment outcomes and safer communities.

Second Chances Make Our Communities Safer

Please join CAP and the Clean Slate Initiative for a virtual event on how clean slate policies make our communities safer by increasing employment and opportunities that reduce recidivism and crime.

Give Women a Second Chance—Our Economy Depends on It

Akua Amaning and Sheena Meade write about how second chance policies can help lift millions of women out of poverty.

How Colleges and Universities Can Bring Pell Grant-Funded Programs Back to Prisons

A new process from the U.S. Department of Education outlines how higher education institutions can receive approval to offer Pell Grant-funded programs to incarcerated students.

A Criminal Record Shouldn’t Be a Life Sentence to Poverty

Bipartisan momentum for clean slate and fair chance licensing policies—which remove barriers to economic opportunity for people facing the stigma of a criminal record—has grown significantly in the states in recent years.

Clean Slate Is Critical for a Healthy Democracy

The automatic clearing of eligible criminal records can help to foster civic engagement and build a healthier democracy.

Justice in Reentry for Formerly Incarcerated LGBTQ People and People Living With HIV

Broad reforms and targeted services are needed to reduce the harms of incarceration for LGBTQ people and people living with HIV as they reenter their communities.

The Facts on Marijuana Equity and Decriminalization

It is time to end the federal criminalization of marijuana and right the wrongs caused by the war on drugs—especially for communities of color.

3 Ways the Biden Administration Can Give Second Chances to Justice-Impacted College Students

The Biden administration should improve policies around admissions, financial aid, and housing to ensure that people with criminal records have fair opportunities to pursue a college education.

Preventing and Removing Barriers to Housing Security for People With Criminal Convictions

Policymakers must take long-overdue action to undo intentionally harmful housing policies that discriminate against people with criminal records and perpetuate racial discrimination.

The MORE Act: A Fair and Just Approach to Marijuana Policy

The war on drugs has adversely affected people of color for decades; if enacted, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act has an opportunity to correct these harms.

Expunging and Sealing Criminal Records

How Jurisdictions Can Expand Access to Second Chances

Mitigating the Impacts of a Criminal Record on Young Adults in the U.S.

Young adults who have been disproportionately affected by America’s criminal justice system are in need of solutions to reduce the collateral consequences of a criminal record.

Criminal Records Create Cycles of Multigenerational Poverty

The collateral consequences of having a criminal record create barriers and restrict opportunities for families across generations—policy solutions must be comprehensive and multigenerational.

Second Chance Cities: Local Efforts to Promote Re-Entry Success

In honor of Second Chance Month, Prison Fellowship’s campaign to eliminate barriers to opportunity for justice-involved Americans, CAP is highlighting the range of approaches that cities have adopted to promote second chances for all of their residents.

Congress Has a ‘Second Chance’ for Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform

Authors Ed Chung and Jason Pye discuss the need for bipartisan criminal justice reform.

How States Are Leading the Charge on Criminal Justice and Second Chance Policies

Six States Leading the Charge on Second-Chance Policies

While criminal justice reform may be stalled in Congress for now, red, blue, and purple states alike are moving forward with their own reforms.