H. Res. 1222
Recognizing the designation of the week of April 24 through April 30 as the annual "National Reentry Week".
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION
That the House of Representatives recognizes— (1) the annual National Reentry Week ; and (2) that— (A) the United States is experiencing a mass incarceration crisis with mass incarceration rates increasing by 500 percent since 1970, and mass incarceration and cycles of structural marginalization have created dangerously high rates of recidivism; (B) the Nation has a responsibility to advance reentry programs that promote opportunity, bolster public safety, and grant formerly incarcerated individuals the opportunity to reenter communities with financial and mental stability; (C) to better mitigate high recidivism rates, Congress must work toward addressing existing obstacles to successful reentry by increasing access for formerly incarcerated individuals to— (i) halfway homes and housing resources upon release; (ii) education programs while incarcerated; (iii) opportunities for higher education grants following their release; (iv) occupational training opportunities while incarcerated; and (v) access to mental health services; (D) to improve reentry outcomes for the formerly incarcerated, Congress must invest in criminal justice frameworks that address high rates of recidivism and support the individual success and rights of incarcerated individuals before and after reentry; (E) incarcerated persons must have access to resources and programs that encourage their successful reentry; and (F) National Reentry Week is an opportunity— (i) to deepen the national conversation about recidivism in the United States; (ii) to amplify and invest in community-driven policy, research, and recidivism solutions; (iii) to improve the outcomes of incarcerated persons upon reentry into society; (iv) to provide a national platform for entities centered on formerly incarcerated persons and their efforts to ensure the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated persons into society; (v) to support efforts to increase funding and advance policies for organizations that provide housing, occupational training, and mental health resources for incarcerated persons reentering society; and (vi) to invest in evidence-based policy solutions to create safer communities across the Nation.