Second Chance Month 2022
Community Partners in Action has always believed that “People Can Change.” This belief is at the core of our services, our staff’s commitment, and the mission of our network partners. Anyone who has served their sentence deserves a second chance. They deserve equitable access to what they need to live a better life after prison. They deserve the right to move forward in this world without being branded with their record forever.
The conviction and loss of freedom while in prison are punishments for a criminal act in society. However, people with criminal records are often stigmatized for years after their sentence is served.
When a person returns home from prison, they want an opportunity for a second chance. But that often isn’t the reality. Instead, so much of our society will place a permanent label on an individual with a criminal record.
The people we serve face the unfairness of being stigmatized every day. The inequitable laws, requirements and beliefs baked into our society make returning home from prison even harder than it already is. People branded with a criminal record face many barriers to housing, jobs and other essential services. Yet, ironically, these are the very things that will increase a person’s chances of staying out of prison for good.
We know that society can change, too. We commend Connecticut for passing an unprecedented number of criminal justice reform laws last year, but so much more still needs to be done. CPA will continue to advocate for all people seeking their second chance after returning home from prison.