What’s New: National Reentry Awareness Month
April is National Reentry Awareness Month, sometimes called National Second Chance Month. The Second Chance Act, passed in 2008, was designed with the goal of reducing recidivism rates and helping formerly incarcerated individuals re-adapt to being part of the community. This has allowed for investment in researching and understanding what it takes to truly improve outcomes for individuals leaving jail or prison, along with families and communities that they return to.
It can be a difficult process to reintegrate into a community that may have changed over the period of incarceration, or to return to one that perhaps did not feel like a welcoming place in the first place. We now have results of extensive research indicating supportive services like life-skills coaching, mental health treatment, access to education or job training, and housing services greatly increase an individual’s chances of successfully reintegrating and drastically decrease their chances of returning to incarceration. With the right supports in place, most people can become members of the community once more and avoid further prison or jail time.
This is why it’s so important to bring awareness to what it takes to build a successful reentry system and the resources that are available. Cuyahoga County, along with several community partners, have lots of scheduled events in the month of April where you can learn more about why supporting successful reentry matters and how you can take part. Find a complete calendar of events in Cuyahoga County and more information about reentry resources in the links below.
Cuyahoga County National Reentry Awareness Month 2025 Events