April 28, 2026
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Velázquez, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Simon, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Thanedar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Recognizing the designation of the week of April 24 through April 30 as the annual National Reentry Week
.
Whereas, despite making up only 5 percent of the global population, the United States has more than 20 percent of the world’s prison population;
Whereas the incarcerated population has increased by 500 percent to 2,000,000 people in jail or prison, a rate of incarceration which outpaces both crime and population growth;
Whereas the carceral system is unequipped to manage this growing population due to persisting challenges to recruit and retain staff: the Bureau of Prisons has over 2,500 vacant correctional officer positions and over 7,000 vacant positions;
Whereas mass incarceration is costly to Federal and State budgets, costing State governments an estimated $64,000,000,000 each year and costing the United States Government over $80,000,000,000 every year;
Whereas the patterns of mass incarceration and recidivism are costly, and public funds would be better invested in community development, education, and workforce development;
Whereas the Federal Government spends approximately $42,000 annually on each incarcerated individual, and State governments spend between $23,000 to $307,463 annually on each incarcerated individual;
Whereas 1 in every 3 adults in America has a criminal record, and 95 percent of incarcerated people will be released from prison and will reenter society;
Whereas approximately 35 percent of all prisoners have a diagnosed mental health disorder, and incarceration is known to be inherently damaging to the mental health of prisoners, often causing symptoms of PTSD in formerly incarcerated persons;
Whereas the population of detained persons is increasing among key demographics, with significant overrepresentation of minority demographics among incarcerated populations;
Whereas, depending on their social and economic status, formerly incarcerated individuals are more likely to face unemployment upon release, thus leading to higher rates of recidivism, as unemployment correlates with a higher likelihood to reoffend;
Whereas 11,400,000 individuals cycle through local jails annually, and 650,000 reenter their communities from prisons, and these individuals face thousands of restrictions to reintegration at the Federal, State, and local levels;
Whereas formerly incarcerated individuals face significant restrictions to education, employment, housing, credit, and stability, which contribute to the concerningly high recidivism rate in the United States of 70 percent of former convicts reoffending;
Whereas the Department of Justice must take steps to make the criminal justice system more fair and efficient in order to reduce recidivism, and support the reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals as participatory, contributing members of their communities;
Whereas supporting successful reentry is an unavoidable element of ensuring and promoting public safety by supporting the reentry of former convicts to productive, law-abiding lives; and
Whereas the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons are encouraged to coordinate and engage in reentry events, efforts, and learning opportunities at their facilities: Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
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.