From Brookings:
For the third year in a row, in 2021, President Biden declared April as Second Chance Month for former prisoners who have reentered their local communities.[1] Prior to his proclamation, efforts have increased to bring more attention to this critical issue, especially as the number of prisoners released from incarcerating institutions across the country continues to grow. Right now, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that between 650,000 to 750,000 people are released every year. Many of them face major reentry challenges.
Despite its current importance, prisoner reentry is not a new issue as it has been part of American society since 1790. That year, the first known U.S. prison opened in Philadelphia. It was called the Walnut Street Jail, and was built according to principles espoused by Quakers who advocated for a regulated correctional environment, discipline, solitary sleeping cells, and measures to restore defective minds. The purpose of these principles was to change the spirit and habits of the incarcerated, but also set in motion three interrelated issues: incarcerating people was intended to be temporary; serving time in prison was expected to rehabilitate defective minds; and prisoners were to be released, eventually. While the goal of rehabilitation has waxed and waned since 1790, incarceration and reentry have remained constant.
Due to the increasing number of prisoners returning to society, the DOJ held an inaugural National Reentry Week the last week of April in 2016. It sponsored hundreds of events to raise awareness, encouraged partnerships, and educated the public about the importance of having people succeed at reentering society after serving time in prison. Continue reading >>>
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