“Second Chance Month” highlights importance of removing barriers for people trying to reenter society

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR) — April 2026 is known as “Second Chance Month”, shining a national spotlight on the promise and difficulty of reentry.

It is a bipartisan resolution introduced by Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and was passed by the Senate.

A similar resolution was introduced in the House by Representatives Bruce Westerman and Danny Davis.

It is meant to highlight the importance of removing barriers hindering people with criminal records from successfully rebuilding their lives.

But, the challenges they face – from employment to housing to education – don’t end when they are released and persist long after their time is served.

“I think instead of dwelling on incarceration, we really ought to focus on what comes next. So our resolution simply recognized the importance of another chance and ensuring that individuals have a shot at rebuilding their lives, supporting their families and most importantly contributing to their communities,” said Cramer.

People who have been incarcerated even once are nearly seven times more likely to experience homelessness.

The resolution underscores the importance of matching individuals with opportunity.

Roughly 80 million Americans have a criminal record.

In North Dakota, about 1,800 people are incarcerated and another 6,000 are under community supervision.