Bill Text: TX HR1268 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing April 2019 as Second Chance Month.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-04-24 - Reported enrolled [HR1268 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR1268-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1268 |
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WHEREAS, April 2019 has been designated Second Chance Month | ||
by presidential proclamation, and this observance serves to honor | ||
those individuals who have successfully reentered society after | ||
being incarcerated; in addition, the occasion pays tribute to the | ||
community groups, faith-based organizations, and employers that | ||
lend a helping hand to former prisoners and that work to reduce | ||
recidivism; and | ||
WHEREAS, Men and women who have been incarcerated face | ||
significant barriers in returning to life outside of a detention | ||
facility; those who have been able to make that difficult | ||
transition are worthy of recognition, not only because of the | ||
challenges they have overcome but also because they provide | ||
positive examples that help other former prisoners to successfully | ||
walk the same path; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State is home to a multitude of | ||
individuals who have transcended their troubled pasts to become | ||
productive citizens; included among their number are the following | ||
men and women who are playing prominent roles in the field of public | ||
policy and other community initiatives; and | ||
WHEREAS, Following incarceration, Jorge Renaud devoted | ||
himself to furthering his education and earned his master's degree | ||
in social work from The University of Texas at Austin; he has worked | ||
to change policy on the state and local levels and has served as a | ||
mentor to youth and adults to help them realize their full | ||
potential; and | ||
WHEREAS, Douglas Smith became a statewide expert in criminal | ||
justice policy after his release from prison, and he has counseled | ||
new leaders on other public policy matters as well; in addition to | ||
his work as an adjunct professor at UT, he serves as treasurer of | ||
the Sobering Center Austin board; and | ||
WHEREAS, Following his detention, Reginald Smith earned his | ||
bachelor's degree and will soon graduate with a master's degree in | ||
social work from UT; he is an expert in peer support and reentry and | ||
serves on the Judicial Commission on Mental Health, as chair of the | ||
Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable, and as a member of the | ||
Sobering Center Austin board; and | ||
WHEREAS, Darwin Hamilton, who successfully completed a | ||
parole period of 17 years without incident, is a published author | ||
and a member of the board of Grassroots Leadership; he also chairs | ||
the Reentry Advocacy Project and is an alumni of JustLeadershipUSA | ||
and Leadership Austin; and | ||
WHEREAS, Since her release, Lauren Johnson has dedicated | ||
herself to effecting policy change at the local and state level, and | ||
her accomplishments have had a positive impact on thousands of | ||
Texans; additionally, she is a published author and an alumna of | ||
JustLeadershipUSA and Leadership Austin; the mother of three boys, | ||
she gave birth to her first child during incarceration; and | ||
WHEREAS, Others who have exited the criminal justice system | ||
and who are making a notable difference in their community include | ||
Allison Franklin, who is nationally recognized for her work in | ||
behalf of survivors of human trafficking, Jose Flores, who works to | ||
prevent youth from becoming juvenile offenders, and Carl Hunter II, | ||
David Johnson, and Kevin Garrett, who are Peer Policy Fellowship | ||
trailblazers; moreover, Susanna Bannon, Jacqueline Frost, and | ||
Lewis Conway Jr. have distinguished themselves in their efforts | ||
related to education, civic engagement, and policy change; and | ||
WHEREAS, Many more individuals throughout our state have | ||
likewise emerged from the criminal justice system to realize | ||
meaningful goals in a broad range of endeavors, and their | ||
experiences offer a moving testament to the human potential for | ||
redemption; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby recognize April 2019 as Second Chance Month and | ||
commend those who have made a successful transition to life outside | ||
the corrections system as well as those organizations and | ||
individuals who have assisted in that process. | ||
Allen | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1268 was adopted by the House on April | ||
18, 2019, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||