JustLeadershipUSA Statement on the Bipartisan Reintroduction of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025

This week, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Rep.Carol Miller (R-WV), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025. With the reintroduction, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has signaled support for critical investment that would advance economic mobility of people directly impacted by the criminal legal system. In response, JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) released the following statement:

JustLeadershipUSA acknowledges the reintroduction of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025. In recent weeks, much of the funding directed toward people with lived experience has faced uncertainty. And yet, what remains certain is the fact that more than 95% of those sentenced to incarceration will return to their communities.This legislation builds on ongoing efforts to address the structural barriers people face after incarceration. It strengthens reentry preparation and begins to address the collateral consequences of conviction. Its reintroduction signals continued bipartisan acknowledgement that reentry is not optional but essential to the economy’s growth.

This bill includes comprehensive solutions, including critical new funding for reentry housing, enhanced recovery supports, and expanded resources for economic mobility—key priorities long championed by JLUSA and the JustUS Coordinating Council (JCC).In a moment when federal investment in reentry is uncertain, today is a step in the right direction.  But work is far from over. We must ensure the legislation is passed, fully funded, and implemented in a way that centers the needs of directly impacted communities. The human and economic costs of mass incarceration are unsustainable.

The collective policy decisions that form the foundation of our criminal justice system can and must be reimagined. JLUSA and the JCC will both continue to push for policy solutions that go beyond second chances and call on Congress to do the same.

Learn more about how we are elevating issues impacting the 70+ million Americans with lived experience at the Federal level through the JustUS Coordinating Council (JCC) at justuscc.org.