H.Res. 1222

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1222 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1222

Recognizing the designation of the week of April 24 through April 30 as 
the annual ``National Reentry Week''.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 28, 2026

Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Velazquez, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

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
Resolved, 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.
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