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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, April 2019 has been designated Second Chance Month |
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by presidential proclamation, and this observance serves to honor |
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those individuals who have successfully reentered society after |
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being incarcerated; in addition, the occasion pays tribute to the |
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community groups, faith-based organizations, and employers that |
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lend a helping hand to former prisoners and that work to reduce |
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recidivism; and |
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WHEREAS, Men and women who have been incarcerated face |
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significant barriers in returning to life outside of a detention |
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facility; those who have been able to make that difficult |
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transition are worthy of recognition, not only because of the |
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challenges they have overcome but also because they provide |
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positive examples that help other former prisoners to successfully |
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walk the same path; and |
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State is home to a multitude of |
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individuals who have transcended their troubled pasts to become |
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productive citizens; included among their number are the following |
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men and women who are playing prominent roles in the field of public |
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policy and other community initiatives; and |
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WHEREAS, Following incarceration, Jorge Renaud devoted |
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himself to furthering his education and earned his master's degree |
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in social work from The University of Texas at Austin; he has worked |
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to change policy on the state and local levels and has served as a |
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mentor to youth and adults to help them realize their full |
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potential; and |
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WHEREAS, Douglas Smith became a statewide expert in criminal |
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justice policy after his release from prison, and he has counseled |
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new leaders on other public policy matters as well; in addition to |
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his work as an adjunct professor at UT, he serves as treasurer of |
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the Sobering Center Austin board; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his detention, Reginald Smith earned his |
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bachelor's degree and will soon graduate with a master's degree in |
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social work from UT; he is an expert in peer support and reentry and |
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serves on the Judicial Commission on Mental Health, as chair of the |
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Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable, and as a member of the |
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Sobering Center Austin board; and |
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WHEREAS, Darwin Hamilton, who successfully completed a |
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parole period of 17 years without incident, is a published author |
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and a member of the board of Grassroots Leadership; he also chairs |
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the Reentry Advocacy Project and is an alumni of JustLeadershipUSA |
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and Leadership Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Since her release, Lauren Johnson has dedicated |
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herself to effecting policy change at the local and state level, and |
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her accomplishments have had a positive impact on thousands of |
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Texans; additionally, she is a published author and an alumna of |
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JustLeadershipUSA and Leadership Austin; the mother of three boys, |
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she gave birth to her first child during incarceration; and |
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WHEREAS, Others who have exited the criminal justice system |
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and who are making a notable difference in their community include |
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Allison Franklin, who is nationally recognized for her work in |
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behalf of survivors of human trafficking, Jose Flores, who works to |
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prevent youth from becoming juvenile offenders, and Carl Hunter II, |
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David Johnson, and Kevin Garrett, who are Peer Policy Fellowship |
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trailblazers; moreover, Susanna Bannon, Jacqueline Frost, and |
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Lewis Conway Jr. have distinguished themselves in their efforts |
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related to education, civic engagement, and policy change; and |
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WHEREAS, Many more individuals throughout our state have |
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likewise emerged from the criminal justice system to realize |
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meaningful goals in a broad range of endeavors, and their |
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experiences offer a moving testament to the human potential for |
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redemption; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 2019 as Second Chance Month and |
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commend those who have made a successful transition to life outside |
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the corrections system as well as those organizations and |
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individuals who have assisted in that process. |