Full Text of SR1668 100th General Assembly
SR1668 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, An estimated 65 million Americans have a criminal | 3 | | record, and 95% of current inmates are set to be released one | 4 | | day, two-thirds of whom will be released in the next five | 5 | | years; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Prison Fellowship, joined by a bipartisan | 7 | | coalition of more than 150 organizations, is seeking to reduce | 8 | | the social stigma and barriers that plague Americans with a | 9 | | criminal record; one in four adults are trying to re-enter | 10 | | society and become contributing members of their communities; | 11 | | and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, For far too many of those who have served time | 13 | | behind bars, release from incarceration brings a new kind of | 14 | | prison; having a criminal record limits their access to jobs, | 15 | | education, housing, and other things necessary for a full and | 16 | | productive life; any hope and new identity found while | 17 | | incarcerated can be quickly lost upon release when faced with | 18 | | the "second prison", the more than 48,000 documented social | 19 | | stigmas and legal restrictions that inhibit opportunities to | 20 | | rebuild someone's life after paying a debt to society; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, It is vital to remove unnecessary barriers that | 22 | | prevent those with a criminal record from becoming productive |
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| 1 | | members of society; we believe people with a past can rise from | 2 | | their failure and repay their debts, and we believe that | 3 | | healing is possible for our communities affected by crime; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, The Second Chance Act has helped to break that | 5 | | cycle by providing drug treatment and job training, which makes | 6 | | our communities safer, saves taxpayer dollars, and most | 7 | | importantly, helps former inmates live out their God-given | 8 | | potential; the mistakes of our past do not have to define the | 9 | | potential for our future; by designating April as Second Chance | 10 | | Month, we are supporting those who are returning from prison | 11 | | and want a fair shot at living an honest and productive life by | 12 | | increasing public awareness and getting them the help they | 13 | | need; therefore, be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | 15 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April of | 16 | | 2018 as "Second Chance Month"; and be it further | 17 | | RESOLVED, That we honor the communities, governmental | 18 | | entities, nonprofit organizations, congregations, employers, | 19 | | and individuals that work to remove unnecessary legal and | 20 | | societal barriers which prevent an individual with a criminal | 21 | | record from becoming a productive member of society; and be it | 22 | | further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the people of the State of Illinois | 2 | | commemorate Second Chance Month through actions and programs | 3 | | that promote awareness of collateral consequences and provide | 4 | | closure for individuals who have paid their debts.
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