Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Resolutions to Designate April 2026 as Second Chance Month

Over 600,000 people are released from state and federal prisons every year — and roughly 9 million cycle through local jails annually

82% of people released from state prison are rearrested within 10 years of release

The national 3-year reincarceration rate fell from 35% in 2008 to 27% in 2019 — an 8-percentage-point drop since the Second Chance Act passed

Formerly incarcerated people face an unemployment rate nearly 5 times higher than the general U.S. population — 27% vs. roughly 5%

The Second Chance Act program received $111 million in federal funding in FY2026 — down $6 million from the prior year