WHEREAS, An estimated 25,000 people return to Philadelphia from federal, state, and local prisons each year, and there are an estimated population of more than 200,000 returned citizens in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphians returning from jails and prisons experience extremely high rates of recidivism; and high recidivism rates carry devastating consequences for the well-being of affected individuals, families, and communities; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania there are over 860 collateral consequences of conviction, or legal and regulatory sanctions and restrictions that limit or prohibit people with criminal records from accessing employment, occupational licensing, housing, voting, education, and other opportunities;
WHEREAS, Individuals returning from prison face various difficulties, among them finding housing, securing drug treatment and other medical care, obtaining loans and credit, accessing higher education, and finding and maintaining employment;
WHEREAS, Re-entry programs and re-entry advocates seek to mitigate these difficulties, with the goal of reducing recidivism and creating more opportunities for returning citizens to thrive; and
WHEREAS, Reduced recidivism allows for reinvestment of savings in community enhancement initiatives and proactive approaches to public safety; and
WHEREAS, Over 100 agencies and organizations involved in the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition are actively collaborating to reduce recidivism in Philadelphia; and the Office of Re-Integration Services (RISE) is leading the
Kenney Administration's work to build on existing efforts to improve re-entry outcomes in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, the Council of the City of Philadelphia formally recognized June as Re-entry Awareness Month in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Re-entry Awareness Month is a time to remind us that returning citizens should always be afforded the full rights of citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Re-entry Awareness Month is a time to remind us that the successes of returning citizens make Philadelphia a better City; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA Hereby celebrates this June as Re-entry Awareness Month, and recognizes the accomplishments and achievements of returning citizens across Philadelphia.
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