Why Second Chance

Too many people are serving long prison terms that don’t make us safer.  People languish in prison for years—even decades—because our laws didn’t give them a Second Chance.  Extreme sentences devastate families and communities across the country, but they hit communities of color the hardest and prevent matured and changed individuals from re-entering society.  

Governors in most states have executive clemency authority that allows them to change the terms of someone’s criminal justice system involvement, including by issuing pardons or by granting commutations to adjust the sentences of people in prison.  Though many clemency deliberations are independent case-by-case assessments; in some cases, governors can also extend clemency eligibility categorically to groups of people in prison. 

Parole is an option that can give hope for early release, but can take years and many attempts if granted. 

and that is why we pursue solutions for and assist those who may qualify for Second Chance relief