second chances essays

May 31, 2024

published by phi beta kappa

Print or web publication, second chances, social forgiveness, and the internet.

We need the means, both technological and legal, to replace measures once woven into the fabric of communities

This piece’s co-author is Radhika Bhat.

A young man in upstate New York drinks too much and gets a little rowdy, picks a fight, smashes up the bar, and is arrested. When he gets into trouble again a short time later, the judge sends him to jail for a week. After his release, he gets fired and cannot find a new job because he has a record. The local newspaper carries a story about his misconduct. The merchants on Main Street refuse to sell him anything on credit. The young women gossip about him and refuse to date him. One day he has had enough. He packs his meager belongings, leaves without a good-bye, and moves to a small town in Oregon. Here, he gains a new start. Nobody knows about his rowdy past, and he has learned his lesson. He drinks less, avoids fights, works in a lumberyard, and soon marries a nice local woman, has three kids, and lives happily ever after. Cue the choir of angels singing in the background.

The idea that people deserve a second chance is an important American value. Perhaps it grows out of our history, in which those who got into trouble in Europe (whether it was their fault or not) moved to the United States to start a new life. And as the American West was settled, many easterners and midwesterners found a place there for a second beginning. More profoundly, the belief in a new beginning is a tenet of Christianity, which allows sinners to repent and be fully redeemed, to be reborn. In a similar vein, the secular, progressive, optimistic, therapeutic culture of today’s America rejects the notion that there are inherently bad people. As individuals, we seek insights into our failings so we can learn to overcome them and achieve a new start. From a sociological perspective, people are thrown off course by their social conditions—because they are poor, for instance, and subject to discrimination. But these conditions can be altered, and then these people will be able to lead good lives. Under the right conditions, criminals can pay their debt to society and be rehabilitated, sex offenders can be reformed, and others who have flunked out can pass another test. Just give them a second chance.

T he latest chapter of this deeply entrenched narrative introduces a big bad wolf, the Internet. It stands charged with killing the opportunity for people to have that much-deserved second chance. By computerizing local public records, the Internet casts the shadow of people’s past far and fast; like a curse they cannot undo, their records now follow them wherever they go. True, even in the good old days, arrest records, criminal sentences, bankruptcy filings, and even divorce records were public. Some were listed in blotters kept in police stations, others in courthouses; anyone who wished to take the trouble could go there and read them. But most people did not. Above all, there was no way for people in distant communities to find these damning facts without going to inordinate lengths.

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The first sign of trouble due to technological changes came about in the late 19th century when newspapers started publishing this sort of information. In 1890, after newspapers printed social gossip about the family of Boston lawyer Samuel D. Warren, he and his law partner, the future Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, published in the Harvard Law Review what is considered the most seminal law review article ever written, one that became the foundation of the American right to privacy. In it, they asserted that an individual has the right to keep certain information hidden from others. Warren and Brandeis were not trying to stop gossip. (Although people often find gossip annoying, sociologists view it as an important part of the informal social controls that nudge people to be better than they would otherwise be, thus minimizing the role for policing. Hence the great concern with the breakdown of communities—where people know each other and gossip—and the quest for new soft tools to advance social order.) But Warren and Brandeis correctly saw that a major change takes place once gossip is spread to a large community, as it is via the print media, to people who do not personally know those who are being gossiped about, and who are therefore unaware of the special circumstances, of the “whole story.” This change was a harbinger of things to come.

In recent decades, online databases have dramatically increased the size of the audience that has access to public information and the ease with which it can be examined. Several companies have started compiling criminal records, making them available to everyone in the country and indeed the world. For instance, PeopleFinders, a company based in Sacramento, recently introduced CriminalSearches.com, a free service to access public criminal records, which draws data from local courthouses. A similar thing is happening to many other types of public records, ranging from birth records to divorces.

These developments disturb privacy advocates and anyone who is keen on ensuring that people have the opportunity for a new start. Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, says that Internet databases cause a “loss of ‘social forgiveness.’” For instance, a person’s “conviction of graffiti vandalism at age 19 will still be there at age 29 when [he’s] a solid citizen trying to get a job and raise a family”—and the conviction will be there for anyone to see. Furthermore, as companies “rely on background checks to screen workers, [they] risk imposing unfair barriers to rehabilitated criminals,” wrote reporters Ann Zimmerman and Kortney Stringer in The Wall Street Journal. In short, as journalist Brad Stone wrote in The New York Times, by allowing the producers of databases to remove “the obstacles to getting criminal information,” we are losing “a valuable, ignorance-fueled civil peace.”

B ut hold on for just a minute. Is the Internet age really destroying second chances, making us less forgiving and hindering the possibility for rehabilitation and even redemption? The sad fact is that most convicted criminals in the pre-digital age did not use the second chance that their obscurity gave them, nor did they use their third or fourth chances. Convincing data show that most criminal offenders—especially those involved in violent crimes—are not rehabilitated; they commit new crimes. And many commit numerous crimes before they are caught again. Thus, while obscurity may well help a small percentage of criminals get a second chance, it helps a large percentage of them strike again.

Take the case of James Webb (not the U.S. Senator from Virginia of the same name). He had served 20 years in prison for raping six women when, on August 16, 1995, he was released on parole. But rather than look for a new start, he raped another woman the day after he was released. Then he raped three more women in the next few months. He was re-arrested in December 1995, after he committed the fourth rape. Or consider the case of James Richardson, a New York resident who served 20 years of a life term for raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl. After he was paroled in 1992, he committed three bank robberies before being re-incarcerated. Both cases happened before the advent of databanks of criminal convictions.

These two are typical cases. In its most recent study on recidivism in the United States, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics tracked two-thirds of the prisoners released in 15 states in 1994. It found that within three years of their release, 67.5 percent of them were re-arrested for a new offense. In short, most people who commit crimes are more likely to commit crimes in the future than to make good use of a second chance. This was true long before the digitization of criminal data and the loss of obscurity.

Moreover, just because only two-thirds of the prisoners were re-arrested does not mean that the other third did not commit any crimes. Many crimes are never solved and their perpetrators never caught. Studies found that the majority of rapists and child molesters had been convicted more than once for a sexual assault—and committed numerous offenses before they were caught again. On average, these offenders admitted to having committed two to five times as many sex crimes as were officially documented. That is, not only did they fail to use their second chances to start a new life, they used obscurity to their advantage.

In short, the image of a young person who goes astray, and who would return to the straight and narrow life if just given a second chance, does not fit most offenders. Indeed, prisons are considered colleges for crime; they harden those sentenced to spend time in them, making them more disposed to future criminal behavior upon release. Social scientists differ about whom to blame for the limited success of rehabilitation. Some fault “the system,” or poor social conditions, or lack of job training. Others place more blame on the character of those involved. In any case, obscurity hardly serves to overcome strong factors that agitate against rehabilitation.

O nline databases also display the records of physicians who do not live up to the Hippocratic oath; these doctors do harm, and plenty of it. The National Practitioner Data Bank allows state licensing boards, hospitals, and other health-care entities to find out whether the license of a doctor has been revoked recently in another state or if the doctor has been disciplined. Doctors’ licenses are generally revoked only if they commit very serious offenses, such as repeated gross negligence, criminal felonies, or practicing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

If these databases had been used as intended in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they could have tracked Pamela L. Johnson, a physician who was forced to leave Duke University Medical Center after many of her patients suffered from unusual complications. In response, Johnson moved to New Mexico and lied about her professional history in order to obtain a medical license there and continue practicing. After three patients in New Mexico filed lawsuits alleging that she was negligent or had botched surgical procedures, she moved again and set up shop in Michigan.

Similarly, Joseph S. Hayes, a medical doctor licensed in Tennessee, was convicted of drug abuse and assault, including choking a patient, actions which resulted in the revocation of his Tennessee license in 1991. But his license was reinstated in 1993. When he was charged with fondling a female patient in 1999, he simply moved to South Carolina to continue practicing medicine. Similar stories could be told about scores of other doctors. (The exploits of one of the most notorious of these doctors are laid out in a new book, Charlatan, by Pope Brock.)

Beyond assuming that Internet databases do little harm to those who are not likely to reform themselves, we can show real benefits from the widespread dissemination of information about wrongdoers—-for their potential victims. Few doctors are hired by hospitals these days without first being checked through the digitized data sources. Before you hire an accountant, such data makes it possible to discover whether he or she has a record of embezzlement. A community can find out if a new school nurse is a sex offender. Employers may direct ex-offenders to other jobs, or they may still hire them but provide extra oversight, or just decide that they are willing to take the risk. But they do so well informed—and thus warned—rather than ignorant of the sad facts.

Registration and notification laws for sex offenders provide a good case in point. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy conducted a study in 2005 that evaluated the effectiveness of the state’s community notification laws. In 1990, Washington passed the Community Protection Act, a law that requires sex offenders to register with their county sheriff and authorizes law enforcement to release information to the public. The study found that by 1999 the recidivism rate among felony sex offenders in the state had dropped 70 percent from the pre-1990 level, in part due to communities’ awareness of the sex offenders in their neighborhoods. In addition, offenders subject to community notification were arrested for new crimes much more quickly than offenders who were released without notification.

True, online databases increase the size of the community that has access to information, but these technological developments merely help communities catch up with other social developments. People do business over greater distances and move around much more, and much farther, than they did in earlier eras. Our travel and transactions are no longer limited to the county store and local diner. Our access to data needs to expand to match the new scope of our lives.

A ll of this is not to deny that we face a moral dilemma. Although most offenders are not rehabilitated, some are. It is incorrect to assume that “once a criminal, always a criminal.” Take the case of Mike Kolomichuk, who in 1979 pleaded guilty to two counts of battery after having an altercation with an undercover police officer in a bar in Florida. As punishment, he received unsupervised probation, during which he conducted himself well. Kolomichuk eventually moved to Ohio, where almost 30 years later he ran as a write-in candidate for mayor of the village of Lakemore and won. His criminal past was not an issue in the election because his record was unknown in the village of 2,500 people. When his criminal history came out a few months later, there was talk of the need for a new election, but it soon subsided. Today, Kolomichuk remains mayor and is continuing his efforts to revitalize the community. In this case, obscurity may well have helped.

The argument can be made, then, that just as we believe it is better to let a hundred guilty people walk free than to condemn one innocent person, we should let a hundred criminals benefit from obscurity in order to provide a chance at rehabilitation for the few who put obscurity to good use. But there are ways, although imperfect, for allowing second chances for offenders while still allowing a community to protect itself by using online databases.

W hat is needed is a mixture of technological and legal means to replace the measures that were once naturally woven into the fabric of communities with measures that can satisfy the needs of a large, complex, and mobile society.

For example, where the inefficiency of paper records once ensured that information would not travel far, we now must introduce into the digitized world barriers for information that should not be spread. Formerly, in smaller communities, if a person was arrested, his neighbors would learn whether he had been exonerated or convicted. The community might even have had a sense of whether a person who was released had in fact committed the crime, or whether the arrest was unjustified. These days, an arrest record may travel across the globe in nanoseconds, but it is difficult to find out if it was justified. Either arrest records should not be made public (although they might be available to police in other jurisdictions) or they must be accompanied with information about the outcome of the case.

In addition, a criminal record could be sealed both locally and in online databases, say after seven years, if the person has not committed a new crime. There is considerable precedent for such a move. For instance, information about juvenile offenders and presentations to grand juries are often sealed.

Another measure could limit access to certain databanks to those who are trained to understand the limitations of these databanks. For instance, several states allow only police authorities and educational institutions to access databases on sex offenders.

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One other major concern is that lawbreakers who have paid their debt to society will face discrimination in hiring and housing. Protections against such discrimination are already in place, but others might be added. For instance, employers cannot, as a general rule, legally maintain a policy of refusing to hire people merely because they are ex-cons, whether the employer gets this information from a police blotter or a computer.

Internet databases should be held accountable for the information they provide. If they rely on public records, then they should be required to keep up with the changes in these records. They should also provide mechanisms for filing complaints if the online data are erroneous, and they should make proper corrections in a timely fashion, the way those who keep tabs on credit records are expected to do.

These are a few examples of measures that provide obscurity equivalents in the digital age. Still, let’s remember the importance of gossip fueled by public records. As a rule, we care deeply about the approval of others. In most communities, being arrested is a source of major humiliation, and people will go to great pains to avoid ending up in jail. In such cases, the social system does not work if the information is not publicly available. This holds true for the digitized world, where the need for a much wider-ranging “informal social communication,” as sociologists call gossip, applies not merely to criminals, sexual predators, and disgraced physicians. It holds for people who trade on eBay, sell used books on Amazon, or distribute loans from e-banks. These people are also eager to maintain their reputation—not just locally but globally. If we cannot find ways to deal in cyberspace with those who deceive and cheat, then our ability to use the internet for travel, trade, investment, and much else will be severely set back.

This need is served in part by user-generated feedback and ratings, which inform others who may do business via the Internet—much like traditional community gossip would. The ability of people to obscure their past in pre-Internet days made it all too easy for charlatans, quacks, and criminal offenders to hurt more people by simply switching locations. The new, digitized transparency is one major means of facilitating deals between people who do not know each other. With enough effort, its undesirable side effects can be curbed, and people can still gain a second chance.

This article was co-authored by Radhika Bhat, a research and outreach assistant at the Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies at The George Washington University.

Amitai Etzioni chairs The Communitarian Network, which he founded in 1993. He is University Professor and professor of international affairs at The George Washington University. Among his many books is The Active Society (1968).

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The Elusive Second Chance: Is Redemption a Right or a Privilege? - David Newman Ph.D. | Aug 2022

Author of Identities and Inequalities, McGraw Hill

Americans love a good second chance story. It’s inspiring when someone treacherous, flawed, and seemingly defeated turns their life around. But are second chances available to all who seek them, as our “everybody deserves a second chance” cultural rhetoric implies?

I have been studying second chances for nearly a decade (Newman, 2020). What I have found is that second chances reflect the paradoxical and parallel existence of two widespread but contradictory cultural narratives about our ability (or inability) to change. On the one hand, there is the optimistic second chance narrative that emphasizes the promise of redemption. On the other hand, we have the less publicized but equally powerful permanent stigma narrative that emphasizes the durability of shame that individuals who somehow “break the rules” must endure. The incongruous coexistence of these two narratives can be seen, for instance, in a literary tradition that simultaneously celebrates books like A Christmas Carol (about redemption and second chances) and The Scarlet Letter (about permanent stigma and disgrace).

Despite the feel-good cultural message that surrounds second chances, and the myriad real-world examples of people who have successfully taken advantage of them, the permanent stigma narrative endures. Punitive zero-tolerance policies, a perpetually vigilant Internet that retains every character blemish and misbehavior, laws that limit the residential and occupational opportunities of ex-felons, and entrenched community stereotypes about certain types of malefactors provide clear examples of how the permanent stigma narrative has become institutionalized.

People surely want second chances—expect them, plead for them, receive them, and try to make the best of the opportunities they provide. But while presented rhetorically in everyday life as a universal right, the second chance experience is actually an earned privilege enjoyed only by those deemed to have the requisite “qualifications” to render them sufficiently deserving. When we begin to think of second chances this way—as a privilege, not a right—they become potentially unjust and troublesome. Judgments of a person’s deservedness are always a function of both individual traits and social identifiers. Hence, second chance opportunities can be influenced by the stratified components of our social selves that regularly affect our everyday experiences: chiefly race, ethnicity, gender, social class, and sexuality. These identifiers—and the pre-judged impressions they create—may be just as influential in the decision to “grant” a second chance as the “unfortunate” behavior itself.

For instance, drug scares that primarily involve poor people of color (such as the “crack epidemic” of the 1980s) have typically been treated with contempt. The media has often framed them as examples of individual misbehavior and moral breakdown. The cultural and legal responses tend to be punitive rather than redemptive. Yet drug scares that are thought to principally affect working-class or middle-class whites (the current opioid epidemic, for example) are frequently described as “diseases of despair” (Case & Deaton, 2015), evoking a considerably more therapeutic and compassionate outlook:

America has never been able to decide whether addicts are victims or criminals, whether addiction is an illness or a crime . . . Some addicts get pitied, others get blamed. . . . White addicts get their suffering witnessed. Addicts of color get punished. Celebrity addicts get posh rehab with equine therapy. Poor addicts get hard time. Someone carrying crack gets five years in prison, while someone driving drunk gets a night in jail, even though drunk driving kills more people every year than cocaine (Jamison, 2018, p. 63).

Gender can likewise influence our desire to forgive and our judgment of deservedness. Consider the divergent arcs of two Silicon Valley executives—one male and one female—who faced legal action in the past few years. Both were extremely wealthy (a trait typically associated with second-chance privilege), yet their experiences were vastly different. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was charged with massive securities fraud. Later, he faced accusations of sexual misconduct and angry blowback from public health officials for spreading COVID misinformation. But to date, Musk has not suffered. He is still running his companies, is on the cusp of buying Twitter for $44 billion, is considered to be the richest person on Earth, and even hosted Saturday Night Live. It’s not that Musk received a second chance; he hasn’t even needed one.

Then there is Elizabeth Holmes. She was the founder of Theranos, a now-defunct blood-testing company. Forbes magazine once named Holmes the youngest and wealthiest self-made female billionaire in America. Like Musk, she was charged with fraud after revelations that she had lied about the company’s ability to perform hundreds of medical tests with a single drop of blood. In 2022, a jury convicted her of four counts of fraud, and she now faces the possibility of a 20-year prison sentence. Many have called her the most hated woman in America. She’s been vilified for single-handedly setting female entrepreneurs’ progress toward financial parity back 50 years. She continues to cast a shadow of skepticism over every other woman seeking to start a healthcare tech company (Griffith, 2021). Her media presence includes no Saturday Night Live gigs, just an incriminating documentary and a scathing Hulu limited series.

Musk’s and Holmes’s transgressions may not have been equally destructive. However, their stories (as well as those of people from different races or classes) reflect the quintessential cultural paradox of the second chance—a concept that is simple in its rhetoric and knotty in its implementation. It is a concept that represents the kind-hearted pinnacle of our shared hopes for renewal, while at the same time it reminds us of the sometimes unforgiving ways we determine others’ deservedness and our darkest suspicions about the intransigence of human nature.

Questions for Discussion:

Can you think of a time in your life when you gave someone a second chance? What factors led you to conclude that they deserved such an opportunity?

Why do you think the idea of second chances is more appealing than the actual provision of them?

In what ways does the assessment of second chance deservedness work its way into law and public policy?

References:

Case, A., & Deaton, A. (2015). Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among White Non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112, 15078-83.

Griffith, E. (2021). They still live in the shadows of Theranos’s Elizabeth Holmes. The New York Times. November 14. Retrieved June 20, 2022 from www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/technology/theranos-elizabeth-holmes.html

Jamison, L. (2018). The recovering: Intoxication and its aftermath (Kindle Edition). New York: Little Brown.

Newman, D. M. (2019). A culture of second chances: The promise, practice, and price of starting over in everyday life. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

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Essay About Second Chances

Ever since I was young, I was taught that everyone deserves a second chance to redeem themselves of what they truly believe is right. Growing up with a younger brother challenged me, as I always loved being the center of attention before he was born. Sharing with him was a struggle, as it often turned into screaming, hitting, and arguing, having to be broken up by my parents. I never agreed with his ways of life and he never agreed with anything I said or did, or so it seemed. In one incident, I can remember screaming that “I was born first so I deserve the toy” as my brother, Benny, let out a wail and continued to cry. It was almost like I never gave him a chance, a chance to let him be the loving and caring brother he has grown up to be.

As we have matured, I have come to realize what I did wrong as a child. I never gave him a chance, therefore after learning lessons from my parents at a young age, I was determined to give him a second chance. This time I would allow him to be the brother I know he truly wanted to be, a shoulder to cry on when someone upset me, and, even though at the time he was a head shorter than me, a protector against anyone who wanted to hurt me. I have learned so many valuable lessons from my childhood, but giving second chances, I believe, can take you places and build your character immensely. Never had I thought sharing a toy would bring me to this conclusion, but the idea of second chances has brought me to be the person I am today.

Whether it’s as simple and cliché as an ice cream shop giving you a new scoop of ice cream after your original scoop topples to the ground, or as meaningful as a broken friendship that needs stitches, a new chance makes for the best results. Being optimistic and open to change is always going to be beneficial, because change is a part of growing up, having new experiences and meeting new people. These new experiences shape the way you think and as I have grown up, I have tried my hardest to allow change to alter how I view people and places.

Additionally, no one was made to be the perfect super-human who always makes the right decisions. Every single person has their unique ways of living, some more unforgiving than others. People overtime form relationships with other people, but personalities can clash, giving way to arguments that can sometimes affect the relationship permanently if second chances are not given. As I formed relationships growing up, I also experienced fights, but luckily, I allowed for second chances and got through all the rough patches so far. All throughout elementary school, I was attached at the hip to a girl by the name of Sarah. We acted alike, we dressed the same, and most teachers even thought we were twins. We spent almost every afternoon together, whether it was working on homework or climbing in the tree in my front yard for hours. There was something about our personalities that just clicked. Up until February 16th, 2017, all was good, we had fought a few times over small issues, but never have I experienced something so immature and unnecessary.

Feeling insecure is a normality these days, making it easier for bullies to get what they want out of people, and around this time I was extremely insecure, making it easier for Sarah to pick on me. Her personality completely changed and we no longer were as close as we used to be. Overtime, she got all my friends to go against me and she tormented me daily about everything from my grades to what I wore. I was not only upset, but confused as to why she would do this to me, as I struggled throughout the rest of the year to regain my friendships with my other friends. Although I was extremely hurt, I did not let my anger get the best of me and after a year of not speaking, I reached out to Sarah and explained to her that I wanted to give her a second chance. If I had not reached out and asked for this second chance from her, we would not be where we are today.

Not only have I given second chances, but I have also received multiple chances throughout my life, even in school. Most teachers’ main goal is to see their students succeed, and sometimes this is done by allowing them a second chance at their work. Personally, I have been in multiple situations where I was not prepared for an upcoming test or simply did not understand the material, but took the test anyways. As a result, I received poor grades, but my teachers knew that I was much more capable than what I got as a grade. Although I do believe that grades do not define someone, I wanted to prove to my teachers that I was capable when they allowed me a second chance to redo the work. Whether I could retake a test or submit homework late, these second chances gave me the opportunity to be the best student I could be in school.

Everyone makes mistakes that may affect their current situations, but at the same time, everyone should learn how to respond to the outcomes that come from their mistakes. By allowing someone a second chance, they can see that they matter and that what they do is important to you. It is important to let someone prove themselves because they might not be the same person they were when they made the mistake in the first place. As life goes on, people truly do change.

I am a firm believer that everyone deserves more than one chance in life. People tend to grow on what they have done and by allowing someone another chance, they can achieve their true and full potential, and that is what the world needs. Everyone should be proud of themselves and feel that they have been given the chance to be their best self, and this I believed as a child, I currently believe and will continue to believe for the rest of my life.

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ANDREW D. KAUFMAN

EDUCATOR AUTHOR INNOVATOR

Why Giving Everyone a Second Chance Is Important

Which crimes deserve to be punished by incarceration is a question that’s getting a lot of attention right now. And rightly so, as 2.3 million people are now living in America’s state and federal prison system. While reducing this number is an ongoing concern, everyone can agree on one thing — once someone is released from prison, the goal should be to keep them from ever going back.

Unfortunately, we’re not doing a good job with that either. More than 600,000 people are released from prison each year, and very few of those leave with the skills they need to thrive outside the walls of a penitentiary. This causes a cascade of problems, starting, of course, with the individuals who lose their freedom.

But we all lose when re-entry to society fails. It produces more crime, more victims, more families broken apart, and higher costs to everyone.

While second chance programs certainly exist to help with that transition back into the community, there’s also an almost comical number of obstacles that make getting back to an ordinary life difficult. The nonprofit National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction has outlined more than 44,000 legal barriers that serve to make life after prison more difficult for former inmates. These include laws that make it harder to get a job, start a business, find housing, or simply engage with their community.

When A Second Chance Fails

These barriers contribute to the “us” vs. “them” mentality, which is yet another way that former prisoners are isolated and marginalized. Having served the punishment for their crimes, they now face a second wave of condemnation that is far too often impossible to overcome. The strategies that we have used to promote rehabilitation and increase public safety have proven to do neither.

So what can we do to change this disastrous status quo? You can find examples of programs across the country that focus on using prison time productively to improve a person’s chances of success once they leave. Educational and vocational classes have been found to reduce recidivism and increase post-release employment. According to one study, every dollar spent on those programs saves five dollars in the future cost of prison and law enforcement.

But that’s just the start of the creative ideas that must be brought to the table. Public- and private-sector partnerships have shown promising results in dealing with substance disorders, mental health, and job training. Programs seeking to place former inmates in high-demand fields like health care can provide job training and fill a societal need. Initiatives to help reconnect former prisoners with their families have also made a difference.

We are seeing other second chance improvements. It was more than a decade ago that I created Books Behind Bars: Life, Literature, and Leadership , an educational program in which university students meet weekly with committed youth at a maximum-security juvenile correctional center. The students explore questions of meaning, value, and social justice through life-changing conversations about Russian literature classics .

By discussing personally relevant topics and intimate stories—ranging from family to death, and success to moral responsibility—both sides gain powerful connections and challenge whatever stereotypes they may have had about the other group. As one participant said, “ When I walked into that building every Tuesday afternoon, I wasn’t locked up. It’s like for the next three hours I can live, I can be myself, I can open up, I can be me.” ”

Looking at the scale of this second chance problem can be overwhelming. But when you take things on a smaller, individual level, solutions present themselves — by talking, listening, and getting to know each other. You eliminate the “us” vs. “them” dynamic and figure out how to make tangible improvements. It isn’t easy, but it’s the best way to start moving in a direction that we need to go if we’re ever going to make prison rehabilitation a reality.

Connect with Dr. Kaufman on Amazon , Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram , or YouTube , and sign up for his newsletter here .

Follow books behind bars on twitter and facebook ., purchase give war and peace a chance: tolstoyan wisdom for troubled times.

Give War and Peace A Chance by @andrewdkaufman

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Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

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100 Words Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

Why second chances matter.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a part of being human. Giving someone another chance means allowing them to try again and do better. Think of it like playing a video game. If you lose a life, you’re grateful for the opportunity to start over and improve your skills.

Learning From Mistakes

When people get a second chance, they can learn from what went wrong the first time. This helps them grow and avoid making the same mistake. Like in school, if you fail a test, studying harder for a retake teaches you the subject better.

Forgiveness and Trust

Offering a second chance shows forgiveness. It builds trust and strengthens relationships. If a friend breaks a toy by accident, forgiving them and sharing another toy can make your friendship stronger.

Hope for the Future

Believing in second chances gives people hope. Knowing you can try again makes you less afraid of failing and more willing to try new things. It’s like riding a bike; if you fall off, you get back up and pedal again.

250 Words Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a normal part of life. When someone does something wrong, they learn from it. Giving a person a second chance means letting them try again. It shows trust and kindness. Just like when you fall off a bike and get back on, everyone deserves the chance to make things right.

Learning from Mistakes

When we mess up, we can see where we went wrong. This helps us do better next time. If we don’t get a second chance, we might not learn how to improve. Think about a time you got a question wrong on a test. The next time you saw that question, you probably knew the answer. That’s because you had another chance to show what you learned.

Forgiveness is Important

Forgiving someone means you stop being angry about their mistake. It’s not always easy, but it’s a good thing to do. When you forgive, you give someone a second chance. This can make friendships stronger. It shows you understand that everyone has bad days.

Everyone Can Change

People can change if they really want to. When someone is given a second chance, they often try hard to do better. They want to show that they can be trusted again. Think of it like a game. If a player makes a mistake, they practice more to improve. Giving a second chance is like giving them more practice time.

In conclusion, giving second chances is about being fair and understanding. It lets people learn, grow, and become better. It’s a chance to fix mistakes and move forward. Everyone deserves this opportunity because nobody is perfect. We all need a little kindness and the chance to prove we can do better.

500 Words Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

What does second chance mean.

Imagine you are playing a video game and you lose a life. The game gives you another chance to try again. This is what a second chance is all about. In real life, it means giving someone another opportunity to do something after they have made a mistake. It’s like pressing the reset button and starting fresh.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a part of being human. When we mess up, we feel sad or sorry. But mistakes are also chances for us to learn. If we don’t get a second chance, we might not be able to show that we have learned from our errors. Think about a time when you did something wrong and someone forgave you. You probably felt relieved and promised to do better next time. That’s the power of a second chance.

Forgiveness Is Important

Forgiving someone means letting go of anger or hurt because of what they did. When we forgive, we give them another chance. This doesn’t mean that what they did is okay. It means we are willing to move past it. Forgiving can be hard, but it helps everyone feel better and grow. It’s like cleaning a dirty window so you can see through it clearly again.

Second Chances Can Change Lives

When someone does something wrong, they might feel like they can never make it right. But when given a second chance, they have the opportunity to change. There are many stories of people who made big mistakes and then turned their lives around. They became better because someone believed in them and gave them another opportunity.

Not Just for Others

Second chances aren’t just for other people; they are for us too. Sometimes we are our own toughest critics. When we mess up, we need to learn to give ourselves another chance. Being kind to ourselves means recognizing that we’re not perfect and that it’s okay to try again.

Building a Better World

Imagine a world where nobody ever got a second chance. It would be a place where people are afraid to make mistakes. This fear might stop us from trying new things or taking risks. But when we know we can get another chance, we are more likely to be brave and try our best. This is how we learn and grow, and it makes the world a better place.

In conclusion, everyone deserves a second chance because it’s a way to learn from mistakes, it involves forgiveness, can change lives, is something we should give to ourselves, and it helps build a better world. Just like in games, life should allow us to start over and do better next time. So remember, if someone around you messes up, think about giving them another chance. It could make a big difference for them and for you.

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Second chances

Updated 18 July 2023

Subject Child Development

Downloads 55

Category Literature , Psychology

Topic Literature Review , Character , Development

People Deserve Second Chances in English Literature

People are given second opportunities so they can undo their previous actions and become better people. They are provided after the first action has been tested and it has been determined that it needs to be corrected. People deserve second chances so they can make up for their past transgressions and enable for a better outcome. Various characters and their positions are featured in fictional and nonfictional narratives in English literature. Characters grow throughout the course of the story, and at one time they need a second chance to consider their choices. Characters are guaranteed second chances in literature, which is one of the places where they can get them. The paper is, therefore, based on the argument that all English literature is about the second chances. The argument in the essay is grounded in English literature materials namely; course texts like Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and School of Scandal by Richard Brinsley.

Literature Embraces Second Chance for Forgiveness and Transformation

Literature embraces second chance to allow for practice of forgiveness and transformation of characters. Since the aim of the work of art is presenting and developing characters, some make choices in life which they later regret and always possess wishful thinking for a second chance. For instance, Allworthy, the main character in Tom Jones novel by Fielding laments having disowned Tom due to the influences from Blifil who wants his son to inherit Allworthy property rather than Tom.

Allworthy's regrets for having sent Tom away, makes him prepare for a journey to London to look for him and beg for forgiveness. In prison he says, "I have treated him cruelly though he is my nephew" (Fielding 38) referring to Tom whom he requested for forgiveness and was given a second chance, he promises only good deeds to his nephew.

The Exercise of Kindness and Mercy in English Literature

English literature aims at restoring peace as it advocates for kindness and mercy. Those who are willing to drop their past feelings towards the other characters get granted second chance to exercise their kind nature. Alternatively even with the opportunity, one may fail to show their different side For example, the play School of Scandal by Richard, it is quoted, "To pity without the power to relieve is still more painful than to ask and be denied."(Sheridan 192) The saying is in regards to some characters who have the chance to exercise their kindness but are swayed away from it. Joseph, a character refuses to give money to Sir Oliver who has disguised himself as Joseph's poor relative. This quotation presents Joseph as trying to spin the situation as if it is quite difficult but simply does not want to give money for kind deeds. Joseph's failure at the present can cause him seek second chance to help where he did not realize the importance.

Second Chances for Happiness and Fulfillment of Dreams

Conversely, second chance gives room for happiness and fulfillment of dreams. As the work of art develops, some characters may get barred from achieving their dreams and instead receive mistreatment and neglect from those dear to them. The situation that Tom and Sophie find themselves in as depicted in Tom Jones Henry Fielding is similar to the above case. The two loved each other, but the relatives could not agree to their relationship due to some barriers. For instance, Sophie's mother says, "You must marry Bilfil who is rich and wealth."(Fielding 36). Tom is denied affection right as he is poor and with no parental identity. At last, the two are granted a second chance of becoming lovers, and they perfect it to the extent of wedding preparation as it is quoted, "we will have a wedding tomorrow..."(Fielding 38).

Correction of Mistakes through Second Chances

Second chances offer an excellent opportunity for correction of mistakes made earlier. Since English literature comprises of characters assuming human traits, errors are prone to characters interacting and sharing their views and ideas. For such characters, if they get accorded second chance within the literary act, they remain united once more as they can correct their mistakes. A situation where Estella in Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations , moves in with Drummle is termed as a mistake by Pip who was eyeing Estella. Later when Estella is given a second chance to choose a marriage partner, she holds pips hand and promises a change in their marriage. The correction that Estella is to make determines their happiness, and extended stay in marriage as Pip concludes, "No shadow of another parting from her." (p864).

Themes Developed through Second Chances

Importantly second chance builds English literature as it continues various themes within the work of literature. For example, reconciliation and repentance as themes are more evident in literary works where second chances have been allowed to the characters. Dickens literary novel Great Expectations features Miss Havisham who repents after realizing she had lived meaningless life all through. She says, "What have I done! What have I done?" (Dickens 536), which shows her desperation for a wasted life thus ready to repent and start a meaningful life if she will be allowed a second chance.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, English literature revolves around characters who want to live a transformed life after realizing that something is wrong. For them to change whatever they yearn for; second chance must be granted to them as discussed in some of the literature materials above. Second chance in literature defines the completion of themes developed in work hence a must for consideration.

Works Cited

Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. USA: Washington Square Press, 1881. Print.

Fielding, Henry. Tom Jones, Volume 1. UK: Derby, 1861. Print.

Sheridan, Richard Brinsley. The school for scandal. Vol. 85. Oxford: H. Altemus, 1899. Print.

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A Second Chance

University: Michigan State University

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Words: 504 |

Published: Dec 27, 2022

Words: 504 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

Disappointing your parents to the point where they start crying and questioning if all the sacrifices, they’ve made for you were worth it or not is the worst feeling a child can face. Especially after your parents left their home country, their parents, their friends behind all to give you a better life than they had. After all this, I repaid my parents in the worst way possible. On May 28, 2019, I was arrested.

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Through various generations, no one in the family had ever got arrested, or even visited jail before. I was the first to bring this disappointment upon my family. My parents didn’t know who I was anymore and reflecting upon my decisions and standing in front of a judge made me realize, I didn’t even know who I was anymore. Just as I was about to lose all hope, the judge saw something in me. I was granted another chance to succeed in life. My charges were dropped, and my record was cleared. However, this came with the cost of being on probation for six months and 32 hours of community service. But I was willing to do anything for a second chance.

If I can go back to May, 28, 2019 and change what I did, I would. I would think about all the opportunities I have, all the sacrifices my parents made and how my decision would affect my future, but during that time, I didn’t. And that is the biggest challenge I have faced, being selfish. I was thinking about myself, living reckless with the mindset “I'm a teenager, I'm allowed to have fun”. But during all this, I lost sight of my purpose. However, I could've either carried this experience with me for the rest of my life, or I could've let it shape me for the better and that’s exactly what I did. I didn't let this terrible patch in my life define me. Instead, I use it as a reminder, so I never fall in this trap again. Use it as motivation, so I can do better for myself and my family.

Most people wouldn’t share a story of them getting arresting and submit it as their college application essay. But I was nothing to hide. Infact, me getting arrested made me the best version of myself. It showed me I was living selfish for many years of my life. And if I continued to walk on the path, I was blindly taking steps on; I could’ve fallen deep into a ditch that I wouldn’t be able to get myself out of.

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“Now I never want to see you in court again, learn from this and build your future. Case dismissed.” These are the words I last heard from the judge. These last few words were the second chance I needed. These last few words made me realize I had a problem that I needed to overcome. And because of these last few words, day by day I make choices that make me a better version of myself.

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Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance Research Paper

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Introduction

Prison recidivism rates are a major national and local issue given the sheer amount of money spent on prisoners in the United States ($35,000 every year for each inmate) and the number of individuals that cycle through the criminal justice system per year (11.6 million) (Miller, Curtis, Sønderlund, Day, & Droste, 2015).

Current statistics on the issue reveal that 68 percent of prisoners released by the state in 2005 were rearrested and sent back to jail within three years, and 75 percent of inmates currently in the system are rearrested within five years. This is indicative of a major problem with the current system of incarceration since there is an established pattern of release, arrest, then release again.

On the other end of the spectrum, Norway has one the lowest prisoner recidivism rates in the world at 20 percent compared to America, which has one of the highest at 76.6 percent as per the lastest statistical data examination (Zortman, Powers, Hiester, Klunk, & Antonio, 2016). The capacity of Norway to field such small numbers is due a process they call “restorative justice.”

Under this process, the Norwegian system of incarceration focuses on rehabilitating criminals to prevent their criminal tendencies from resurfacing. Practices that contribute towards this methodology consist of various vocational and education programs that aim to prepare prisoners for a successful integration back into society. The result is a much lower rate of recidivism and shows the effectiveness that such a methodology has in curbing an individual’s tendency to fall back into old criminal habits.

It is based on this comparison between the Norwegian and American systems of incarceration that the Second Chance Act makes sense. Simply put, if prisoners within the U.S. are presented with a program that helps them to integrate back into society, it is likely that the various deficits to a successful integration could be resolved. This would have a significant impact on a prisoner’s life since it would enable them to have the necessary vocational and educational skills that would help them turn away from a life of crime.

Combined with support programs, housing assistance, and work programs, this would transform the current system and contribute to reducing recidivism rates in the long term. As such, this paper will explore the various arguments, debates, and controversies associated with giving second chances to felons and where the stance of the justice department is on the issue. It is expected through this examination; a greater understanding can develop regarding the impact of second chances on both society and the present day system of incarceration in the U.S. Based on the facts presented, this report asserts that giving second chances to offenders is needed given the potential benefits this would have in reducing costs and in helping the lives of newly released prisoners.

Findings of the Study

Cohen and Whetzel (2014) clarified the source of the problem by explaining that the high recidivism rates in the American prison system are connected to the deficits tied to a prisoner upon their release. These include but are not limited to:

Little in the way of marketable skills: many prisoners upon their release lack the skills they would need to enter the workforce. As a result, they return to a life of crime to survive and are, inevitably, arrested again (Cohen & Whetzel, 2014).
Their criminal record: most employers hesitate to hire individuals that have a criminal record. This is due to the potential danger that a newly released convict would have on their business in the form of possible thefts or property damage (Cohen & Whetzel, 2014).
Limited education: being in prison is not conducive towards earning a proper academic education and, as a result, released prisoners often lack the needed training to get normal jobs.
Lack of sufficient stable housing: the presence of permanent housing is often required before a person is accepted for a job. By constantly being transient, this prevents a released prisoner from gaining a modicum of stability in a local community which limits their future opportunities (Cohen & Whetzel, 2014).
Potential substance abuse problems: before being arrested, many prisoners developed substance abuse problems, their release without sufficient medical and psychiatric assistance creates a high likelihood of them going back to a life of crime to support their addiction.
Lack of an adequate support network for help: lastly, most states do not have a support system in place for newly released prisoners to help them transition back into society. As a result, they tend to turn back to old criminal habits resulting in them being incarcerated again.

Zavin (2012) supports the work of Cohen and Whetzel by stating that the current system of incarceration in the U.S. is not conducive towards creating a proper means of transitioning people from being in prison to integrating back into society. Without such a system in place, it is almost inevitable that former prisoners become the current criminals on America’s streets (Zavin, 2012).

Current Arguments on the Issue

One of the current debates surrounding the issue of second chances is if some criminals deserve one in the first place. Based on the concept of incarceration as a form of punishment, second chances for criminals is viewed as a controversial stance among members of various conservative groups. For example, if a person was found guilty of a violent crime (i.e. theft and assault resulting in injury) should they receive free vocational training and education at the expense of the state? It would seem as if criminals are being rewarded for their actions rather than being punished.

Non-profit organizations such as “We Are All Criminals” (www.weareallcriminals.org) counterargue this position by stating that the problem with the current system of incarceration is that the punishment goes well beyond incarceration and can have a long-term negative impact on an individual’s life. Emily Baxter, founder of “We Are All Criminals” stated that having a criminal record can have a devastating consequence on a person’s career choices since employers do not look at the severity of the crime; rather, they look at the fact that an individual has a criminal record (Cohen, Cook, & Lowenkamp, 2016). These businesses make their choice beforehand resulting in fewer career options for ex-convicts with minor or non-violent crimes.

Delving deeper into the issue, Baxter’s non-profit created a series of presentations showing individuals (with their faces cropped out of the photo) being guilty of various minor crimes in the past and not being caught. These same people eventually became lawyers, police chiefs or achieved similarly respectable careers in society. They would not have been able to gain these positions if they had a criminal record which reveals the current problem with incarceration and the stigma that surrounds it (Cohen, Cook, & Lowenkamp, 2016).

Many people assume that the concept of second chances is limited to what was given in the introduction section of this paper wherein it focuses on educational and vocational support combined with methods to transition an individual back into society. Second chances for ex-convicts can go beyond this and tackle the issues surrounding the stigma of their criminal records. One of the best examples of this can be seen in Indiana’s Second Chance laws which are also known as expungement laws. These laws allow people with minor to significant criminal records to have them sealed with the decision being left up to the court (Evans, Huang, & Hser, 2011).

The length of time for a successful petition depends on the severity of the incident in question. An individual that was arrested but not charged with any crime could request to have their records sealed after a year. Those with a misdemeanor conviction could petition for the sealing of the records after five years (Evans et al., 2011). Lastly, those charged with felony convictions have to wait for eight years and the discretion of the court before the sealing process can even begin. Within the one to eight year period, the individual making the request should not commit any other crime. Otherwise, their petition will be considered null and void.

Overall, Indiana’s expungement laws are meant to address the stigma attached to having a criminal record thereby allowing a person to integrate into society and have a clean slate. However, while expungement laws are an excellent method, there are arguments present regarding their implementation. The most obvious debate surrounding Second Chance laws are connected to the length of time needed before a petition can be made. While it is understandable that a necessary period should elapse to ensure that a person will not commit another crime, the length indicated in present day expungement laws is simply far too long.

Proponents for change involving Second Chance laws correctly point out that five to eight years for a misdemeanor or felony crimes prevents a person from properly integrating back into society. How are they supposed to find meaningful work if they are prevented from expunging their criminal records? It is due to this that the current debate on the issue centers on lowering the amount of time to a more reasonable level or taking into consideration a person’s behavior in prison as a good indicator to reduce the amount of time needed or to grant expungement immediately after they are released from jail to help facilitate their reintegration (Pogorzelski, Wolff, Pan, & Blitz, 2005).

Do note that, on their own; expungement laws are still an insufficient means of preventing prisoner recidivism. What is needed is a combined approach that utilizes both expungement laws and the second chance act to maximize the ability of detainees to transition back into society. By addressing both the stigma against employment and addressing their capability to transition back into society via vocational and educational skills, this can create a situation where an ex-convict has more options available to them and, as such, helps to prevent them from turning back to a life of crime.

Does this Help to Reduce Offender Recidivism Rates?

It is still unclear whether this will dramatically reduce recidivism rates since one of the best examples, Indiana, that has implemented expungement laws has yet to show valid statistical data. Indiana’s Second Chance law was put into effect in 2014 and underwent various revisions until 2015. Currently, it is 2016, and insufficient studies have been conducted to examine the impact that this would have on the state.

However, there are several assumptions that can be derived from available facts. The first assumption is that the Second Chance Act can reduce prisoner recidivism rates. This is based on data released in 2014 that revealed a drop in the federal prison population by 4,800 inmates as of September 2013 (Steiner, Makarios, & Travis, 2015).

Such a reduction was considered as unprecedented since this was the first time that the prison population has gone down instead of up since the year 1980. The drop was attributed to changes in the criminal justice system in 2007 with the introduction of the Second Chance Act (Steiner et al., 2015). In fact, Attorney General Eric Holder even stated that estimates examining the trend in the reduction in the prison population project that by 2016 the reduction will have dropped by another 10,000.

In fact, statistical data examining the impact of the Second Chance Act has shown a decline of 10 percent in America’s incarceration rate (Steiner et al., 2015). This example indicates that policies that target easier societal integration for inmates can have a significant impact on the rate of incarceration and prisoner recidivism. Since expungement laws involving criminal records similarly contribute towards, effective prisoner integration practices, a similar phenomenon of reduced prison populations can also be expected.

Is There a Negative Impact on Society if Offenders are Given Second Chances?

The problem with the current system is that releasing prisoners back into society simply increases crime. The Justice Department Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed in a study that back in the mid-1990s, two-thirds of inmates that were released were rearrested after a period of three years (McShane & Williams, 1996). During the period that they were not in prison, they were responsible crimes that encompassed murder, rape, kidnapping, assault and robbery.

One of the best perspectives on this issue is from the Toscher and Lubin (2011) study which explained the concept of prison as being a “college of crime.” While this may seem to be a strange terminology, Toscher and Lubin stated that many prisons act as melting pots for different criminal elements to mingle. Prisoners with light to average offenses are often in the same facilities as professional criminals due to budget cutbacks and limited space within the American prison system (Toscher & Lubin, 2011).

This creates a system where convicts develop contacts both in and out of prison and learn skills and different pieces of knowledge that they otherwise would not have learned (Müller, Haase, & Stolpmann, 2013). As a result of such influences and the negative impact of sending them back into society without a system of transition in place, time in prison creates better and more experienced criminals.

This is, of course, a terrible result since the purpose of a prison is to punish people who have broken the law and not create an individual that is better at crime. Unfortunately, this is the outcome that was brought about which contributes significantly to the level of recidivism experienced by the prison system (Albanes, 2012). Simply put, the current American system of incarceration already has a negative impact on society and needs to be altered from a system geared primarily to incarceration to one that is closer to the Norwegian system of incarceration, rehabilitation, and resocialization.

The best way in which this can be accomplished would be the Second Chance Act and expungement laws since this gives prisoners the capacity to learn the skills they would need to get a job as well as have a blank slate that would prevent any form of animosity or discrimination being directed against them (Sturup & Lindqvist, 2014). The only potential negative effect such a system would have on society would be the slight increase in cost per prisoner for the necessary education and vocation problems that would be put in place in most prisons. However, given the cost associated with having to incarcerate people in the first place, a slight increase in the expense of each prisoner but a reduction in the overall amount of inmates would be financially acceptable.

Should Certain Offenders (ex: dangerous sex offenders) not be Given a Second Chance?

The debate surrounding second chances for offenders is particularly heated when it comes to whether or not certain criminals should be given the right to expungement or a second chance. The argument centers around the concept of equality under the law and the potential danger certain individuals pose to society. Laws should apply equally to everyone, and it is this concept that is the cornerstone of the justice system that is at work in the United States (Freedman, 2012). However, the application of the law goes both ways wherein a person can both be punished as well as rewarded by the laws that have been put in place.

This is an important facet to consider when examining its application to prison populations since not all prisoner are created equal. Some are incarcerated for relatively minor offenses while there are those who have been responsible for manslaughter, rape, grievous assault and other similar felonies. Should individuals convicted of serious crimes that have served their time in jail have access to the same rights of expungement of the felony records as well as the benefits of the second chance act?

One side of the debate firmly asserts equality under the law and points out that if they are not assisted in some way before their reintroduction into society, it is likely that they will continue to commit the same crimes (Freedman, 2012). By giving them access to a second chance, this helps to prevent recidivism and ensures they become a productive member of society.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are pundits who state that while second chances for criminals is an excellent way of resolving the prison population issue, there are simply some convicts that a second chance should not apply. They point to individuals accused of serious sexual offenses and state that these people should not have their records cleared or given a fresh start since it is likely that they could start the same behavior all over again without their local community having sufficient warning.

In apparent opposition to this assertion is the Kulani correctional facility’s sexual offender rehabilitation in Hawaii which has successfully treated over 800 prisoners convicted of sex-related offences since its start in 1988. The program has been considered as a success since only 20 individuals from the second chance program went back to prison for sexual offenses (Berenji, Chou, & D’Orsogna, 2014).

The Kulani program shows that even if a person is convicted of a sexual offense, they can still be successfully rehabilitated and become a productive member of society. Do note though that in some cases a person convicted of a felony cannot avail of expurgence laws. States like Indiana review expurgence requests by former prisoners who committed crimes. If they determine that a person’s crime is simply too grave to allow expurgence, then it will not be granted. The problem with this method is that the justice system, in effect, facilitates recidivism by preventing an ex-convict from leading a normal life.

Second chances should apply to all equally and, as such, by stopping people the capacity to make a life for themselves, you are in effect facilitating their downturn towards criminal behavior (Rowland, 2016). Taking this into consideration, the assertion that only particular types of criminals should be allowed a second chance is counterproductive to the aims of reducing prison recidivism rates. It is necessary to apply the policy to all criminals and not just a select few that the incarceration system deems as sufficiently harmless or not accused of a serious felony.

Drawbacks to the Application of the Policy

One of the drawbacks to the application of the Second Chance Act and expungence laws come in the form of the case of Antwon Durrell Pitt, a 21-year-old resident of Washington D.C., who has been arrested (eight times in total) for various crimes ranging from robbery to sexual assault. However, due to the presence of laws that were designed to give some leniency to young adult offenders, he has repeatedly been released. His criminal behavior culminated in the 2014 rape of a 40-year-old woman in Hill East, Washington.

This case shows the inherent problem with giving second chances to offenders since some of them are apparently unrepentant of their actions and are likely to continue their criminal behavior after they are released from jail. While the case of Pitt is not indicative of all offenders, it does highlight the potential that exists and helps to show why there are some drawbacks to giving criminals second chances.

After going over the arguments and data that have been presented, this report asserts that giving second chances to offenders is needed given the potential benefits this would have in reducing costs and in helping the lives of newly released prisoners. What this paper has shown is that combined with support programs, housing assistance, and work programs, second chances for offenders would transform the current system and contribute to reducing recidivism rates in the long term.

In the long term, provided that enough funding is given to the similar programs, it could be possible for the U.S. to emulate the Norwegian system of incarceration and hopefully lower some repeat offenders to manageable levels. While it is true that there are some assertions regarding the potential uselessness or even harm some offenders may do with a second chance, such as individuals accused of serious sexual offenses,

the claim that only particular types of criminals should be allowed is counterproductive to the aims of reducing prison recidivism rates. It is necessary to apply the policy to all criminals and not just a select few that the incarceration system deems as sufficiently harmless or not accused of a serious felony.

All in all, this report has successfully delved into the various nuances of giving second chances to offenders. While it is true that the debate on the issue continues even to the present day, the fact remains that the second chance act has proven its worth, and it is likely that expurgence laws also contribute towards lowering prisoner recidivism rates as well.

The next section will deal with future directions that research on this topic can go and what avenues of approach would be the most worthwhile to explore.

Directions for Future Research

For researchers looking for potential avenues of approach when it comes to examining this topic, one recommended option would be to determine the effectiveness of expungence laws and the Second Chance Act at the same time. Current studies on ex-convict recidivism rates lack sufficient examinations on the impact that both methods have.

It is possible that having both helps to drastically reduce the recidivism or one is simply better than the other. Conducting an analysis would assist in contributing towards developing better methods to help improve a prisoner’s transition back into society. Presently, legislative trends on the issue seem to support second chances for offenders by lowering inmate populations and lower costs for the prison system. However, it is still unknown what trends the current justice system may take when it comes to the combination of educational, vocational support systems.

Reference List

Albanes, J. S. (2012). Demystifying Risk Assessment: Giving Prisoners a Second chance at Individualized Community Confinement Under the Second Chance Act. Administrative Law Review , 64 (4), 937- 966.

Berenji, B., Chou, T., & D’Orsogna, M. R. (2014). Recidivism and Rehabilitation of Criminal Offenders: A Carrot and Stick Evolutionary Game. Plos ONE , 9 (1), 1-13.

Cohen, T. H., & Whetzel, J. (2014). The Neglected “R”–Responsivity and the Federal Offender. Federal Probation , 78 (2), 92.

Cohen, T. H., Cook, D., & Lowenkamp, C. T. (2016). The Supervision of Low-Risk Federal Offenders: How the Low-risk Policy Has Changed Federal Supervision Practices without Compromising Community Safety. Federal Probation , 80 (1), 3.

Evans, E., Huang, D., & Hser, Y. (2011). High-Risk Offenders Participating in Court-Supervised Substance Abuse Treatment: Characteristics, Treatment Received, and Factors Associated with Recidivism. Journal Of Behavioral Health Services & Research , 38 (4), 510-525.

Freedman, D. B. (2012). Determining the Long-Term Risks of Recidivism and Registration Failures among Sexual Offenders’. Federal Probation , 76 (1), 14.

McShane, M. D., & Williams, F. P. (1996). Encyclopedia of American Prisons . New York: Routledge.

Miller, P. G., Curtis, A., Sønderlund, A., Day, A., & Droste, N. (2015). Effectiveness of interventions for convicted DUI offenders in reducing recidivism: a systematic review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature. American Journal Of Drug & Alcohol Abuse , 41 (1), 16-29.

Müller, J. L., Haase, K., & Stolpmann, G. (2013). Recidivism and Characteristics of Highly Dangerous Offenders Being Released from Retrospectively Imposed Preventive Detention: An Empirical Study. Behavioral Sciences & The Law , 31 (3), 359-380.

Pogorzelski, W., Wolff, N., Pan, K., & Blitz, C. L. (2005). Behavioral Health Problems, Ex-Offender Reentry Policies, and the “Second Chance Act”. American Journal Of Public Health , 95 (10), 1718-1724.

Rowland, M. G. (2016). Projecting Recidivism Rates for Federal Drug Offenders Released Early from Prison. Federal Sentencing Reporter , 28 (4), 259-263.

Steiner, B., Makarios, M. D., & Travis, L. F. (2015). Examining the Effects of Residential Situations and Residential Mobility on Offender Recidivism. Crime & Delinquency , 61 (3), 375-401.

Sturup, J., & Lindqvist, P. (2014). Homicide offenders 32 years later – A Swedish population-based study on recidivism. Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health , 24 (1), 5-17.

Toscher, S., & Lubin, B. (2011). How About a Second Chance–Recent Developments in Reducing the Convicted Tax Offender’s Time in Prison. Journal Of Tax Practice & Procedure , 13 (2), 25-28.

Zavin, V. (2012). One Strike, You are Out: The Ninth Circuit Denies Second Chance for First-time Drug Offenders. Boston College Journal Of Law & Social Justice , 3 (2) , 83-92.

Zortman, J. S., Powers, T., Hiester, M., Klunk, F. R., & Antonio, M. E. (2016). Evaluating reentry programming in Pennsylvania’s Board of Probation & Parole: An assessment of offenders’ perceptions and recidivism outcomes. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation , 55 (6), 419-442.

Stigma of Conviction and Prison: Reentry to Society
Criminal Law: Community Reintegration of Prisoners
Megan’s law and Adam Walsh Act
Classical Criminology and Present Day Crime
Punishment Risk and Criminal Behavior Relationship
Social Bonding Theory in Criminology
Social Control Theories vs. Criminological Theories
Criminological Theory and Its Author: Donald Lindsley
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, August 9). Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance. https://ivypanda.com/essays/offenders-second-chance/

"Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance." IvyPanda , 9 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/offenders-second-chance/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance'. 9 August.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance." August 9, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/offenders-second-chance/.

1. IvyPanda . "Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance." August 9, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/offenders-second-chance/.

Bibliography

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English Language Films

Second Chances 2 Pages 466 Words

Have you ever wished you could turn aback the clock and relive a particular event or relationship issue? I believe that everyone does deserve a second chance in life. Although often times these second chances are not given. A second chance is like a gift for people who make mistakes. It allows them to learn from their first mistake and do a better job the second time around. In the beginning of The Testament, Nate O'Riely had many problems. He was in rehab due to his alcoholism and drug addictions. Nate's first second chance was when Troy Phelans's lawyer, Josh Stafford gave Nate the responsibility to find Troy's illegitimate daughter in Brazil and give her the news that she had inherited a fortune. Nate accepted this mission and was hoping this would change him for the better. On his way to Brazil he had difficulties with alcohol. which slowed him down but he succeeded by reaching Rachel and delivering the important message. When Nate got dengue, he came very close to death. Fortunately, he was given yet another second chance at life and was able to recover. Nate later tried to make things right with his family and children. Just like Nate received many second chances, so did my dad. My parent's marriage came to an end when my dad's behavior became similar to how Nate acted. He drank far too much and used drugs. My mom put up with this for many years. For example, my dad was not there when I was born. He was in a bar and my mom gave him another second chance. After all the drugs and alcohol took over, my mom was unwilling to give him anymore second chances. The comparison between Nate O'Riely and my dad would be that they both abused drugs and alcohol. They were both given many second chances to recover and to become better persons. They had the opportunities to become better husbands and fathers. Unlike my dad, Nate went into rehab and over time changed his ways. ...

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Second Chance admission essay help!

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some help.

I currently want to apply for a transfer to a new school to enter in their second chance program (gives students with low gpa an opportunity to explain their academic history and request special admission)

It needs to be less than 500 words and I am having some difficulty condensing all that I want to say, in only 500 words. I would really appreciate the help.

I am desperate for a new chance at school. Since I’ve started working full time as a para, I have been extremely motivated to go back and finish with a degree in psychology.

To the Second Chance Committee,

I am writing to ask for a transfer over to ___ from ____ . While at _ , admittedly, I was not a good student at all. I have been placed on academic probation before, and failed to take the necessary actions to succeed in school. There is no specific person or event that I could place blame on. My failure to succeed in school is of my own doing. I have unknowingly lived with depression for many years now, and have been diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder.

Before I sought out professional help, I couldn’t understand why I felt the way I did. There were times where I didn’t have the energy to get up in the mornings, and had absolutely no will to go on with my day. Sometimes, I would stay awake for days, due to insane racing thoughts, and not be able to concentrate in class because of lack of sleep. There would be other days where I would have extreme anxiety about the days I missed class because of my depressive mood. However, I lived with intense guilt every day because I was failing all of my classes due to my own actions. The guilt was the worst to deal with; I was letting both my parents down, and I was letting myself down. Perhaps what was most frustrating was, I didn’t know why my brain worked the way it did.

Once the symptoms worsen, I decided that I had to seek professional help. When I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, things started to make sense to me. I was wary of my diagnosis, and it was hard to believe at first. I started doing my own research of my diagnosis, and reading books on how to combat my symptoms. I was able to slowly teach myself how to properly function, and how to finally take responsibility for my own life.

The last class I had taken at ____, was during the recent winter session. I continuously put in the effort to study the material, show up everyday, and come prepared. As a result, I received an A in that class. Despite having a passing grade. I chose not to register myself for classes since then.

I stopped attending ____ to pursue a job as a substitute paraprofessional for the ___ Department of Education. Since March 2019, I have been working with P.S.____ , in ___. Since I began working as a substitute paraprofessional, I had to undertake new responsibilities that I haven’t had before. I was now responsible for children with and without special needs, and supporting classroom teachers. I began to work every single day, and have dedicated myself to being the best I could be at my job.

I’d like to proudly say that I am succeeding in doing so now, and I can honestly say that I leave work feeling gratified for doing my job. My job as a paraprofessional is to help children, that are often on the autism spectrum, succeed. A couple months ago, I was unable to help myself. I am so proud of myself for going after the job that I wanted, and continuing to do the best I can at it. I’m ready to go back to school, and I would love to be part of the ____ community

You need to get rid of extra words that add no meaning. You say “I was not a good student at all.” What about just “I wasn’t a good student.”?

Another example: “ I’d like to proudly say…” Why not just “I”m proud of succeeding in my current job…” Just go through and look at wasted words. Then you’ll be able to say what’s important.

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Best Second Chance Bank Accounts

Second chance bank account reviews.

Why You Should Trust Us

Best Second Chance Bank Accounts: A Guide to Rebuilding your Financial Health

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate banking products to write unbiased product reviews.

If a bank previously closed one of your bank accounts due to a negative account history, you might struggle to get a bank account at some financial institutions. Some banks and credit unions, however, provide second chance banking so you can still use banking services, regardless of your financial history.

We've reviewed over a dozen financial institutions. Here are our picks for the best checking accounts for people with a negative banking history. Our guide specifically highlights second chance banking with no monthly fees or low monthly fees.

Capital One 360 Checking

Chime® Checking Account and Chime Savings Account
Varo Bank Account and Varo Savings Account

SoFi Checking and Savings

Experian smart money, dora financial everyday checking account, dave spending account.

First Step Checking

All of the financial institutions on our list are protected by FDIC or NCUA insurance. Money is safe at a federally insured financial institution. When a financial institution is federally insured, up to $250,000 per depositor is secure in a bank account.

Compare the Best Second Chance Bank Accounts

No minimums, no fees, no worries.

no monthly service fee

See website for details

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn interest on all account balances
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No opening deposit or minimum account balance
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No monthly service fee
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No foreign transaction fee
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Range of overdraft protection options
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Processes direct deposits up to 2 days early
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't reimburse out-of-network ATM fees
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited access to customer service by phone

Capital One is a strong bank overall. You'll earn competitive interest rates on online savings accounts and CDs.

Over 70,000 free ATMs nationwide
Branches in NY, LA, TX, MD, VA, NJ, and Washington, DC
Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
FDIC insured

Get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposits
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum opening deposit
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No monthly service fees
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Receive your paycheck up to 2 days early
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Rounds debit card purchases up to the nearest dollar and puts spare change in your Chime Savings Account
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No overdraft fees for overdrafts up to $200 with SpotMe®, if you qualify
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No foreign transaction fees
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Request checks be sent to recipients online
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can deposit cash at select retailers
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $2.50 out-of-network ATM fee
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No overdraft protection for overdrafts exceeding $200
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No physical checkbook

Chime has one of the best checking accounts out there, but it doesn't offer joint accounts or pay the best savings rate. Its strongest feature is that it's great for people who might not qualify to open accounts elsewhere — it doesn't check your credit score or banking history when you apply for a checking account, savings account, or credit card. It also provides several credit-building tools.

60,000+ free ATMs nationwide through MoneyPass® and Visa® Plus Alliance
Free cash deposits at Walgreens; May deposit cash at other select retail locations but you may be charged a fee
Rounds debit card purchases up to the nearest dollar and moves spare change into your Chime Savings Account
Qualify for SpotMe® overdraft protection by receiving $200 in direct deposits per month
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Competitive APY
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to round debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and put spare change in savings account
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to automatically save a percentage of your paycheck
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Must open Chime Spending Account before savings account
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Deposit cash at Green Dot locations, which may charge fee
Round debit card purchases to the nearest dollar to put spare change into savings account
Set up a percentage of your paychecks to be put into savings account

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Get your paycheck up to 2 days early
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No overdraft fees
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn cash-back rewards
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No physical branch locations
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $3 out-of-network ATM fee
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No joint accounts
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only way to deposit cash is to visit a Green Dot location and pay a fee

Varo is a good option if you're comfortable with online banking, especially if you're searching for checking and savings accounts that do not use ChexSystems to review your past banking history or do a credit check. The Varo Savings Account also lets you earn a solid interest rate that's much higher than what many traditional and high-yield savings accounts pay — it may be worth considering if you plan to set up direct deposits and meet certain balance requirements. Many of the best high-yield savings accounts let you earn a high rate without meeting specific criteria, though.

Access to 55,000+ Allpoint ATMs in the US, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, UK, and Australia
Earn up to 6% cash back at select retailers; see current cash back offers in the Varo app
When you receive $5 in cash back, the money is automatically deposited into your account
If you overdraw by more than $50, there will be no fee — your transaction will just be denied

3.00% to 5.00%

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High APY
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Most open a Varo Checking Account before opening a savings account
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Must meet certain qualifications to earn highest APY
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only earn highest APY on balances up to $5,000
You must open a Varo Checking Account to qualify for a Varo Savings Account
To earn the highest APY each month, you must receive $1,000 in direct deposits, maintain a daily balance of $5,000 or under in your Varo Savings Account, AND keep your bank accounts above $0

Earn up to a $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposits for eligible customers through 12/31/24. Earn up to 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) with direct deposit

up to 4.60%

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. FDIC insured for $2 million
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High interest rate
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn a higher interest rate with qualifying activities
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposit (terms apply)
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No-fee overdraft coverage if you overdraw up to $50
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Savings tools
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Early direct deposit
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Joint account available
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Declined purchase if you overdraw by more than $50
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't reimburse out-of-network ATM providers' fees
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. May deposit cash at Green Dot locations but there's a $4.95 fee

SoFi Checking and Savings is a great account option if you don't mind keeping your savings and checking in one account.

FDIC insured for $2 million
Free access to 50,000+ Allpoint ATMs worldwide
Hybrid checking/savings account
Earn 4.60% APY on savings balances (Vaults included) and 0.50% APY on checking balances if you set up direct deposit or deposit minimum $5,000 per month
Earn 1.20% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings if you don't have qualifying activities
Earn up to $300 cash bonus available through December 31, 2024; receive a $50 bonus if you make a direct deposit between $1,000 and $4,999 in the first 30 days of opening an account; receive a $300 bonus if you make a direct deposit of $5,000 or more in the first 30 days of opening an account
Create up to 20 Money Vaults to save for individual savings goals like an emergency fund or vacation
$4.95 fee each time you deposit cash at a Green Dot location
To get no-fee overdraft coverage you must have at least $1,000 in direct deposits

Earn $50 bonus when you set up direct deposit

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Build credit with a checking account
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No monthly fees
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Online bill pay and money transfers
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Large free ATM network
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Free financial tools
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No physical branches
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No overdraft protection; if a transaction would overdraw your account, it will be denied
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only works with Experian credit reports

The best checking accounts have low fees and are easy to use — Experian Smart Money offers both with zero fees, plus access to an extensive ATM network and a user-friendly mobile app. The account stands out because it helps you improve your credit score when you make everyday bill payments. For this reason, the account is best for people who are just starting to build credit or could use help improving it.

Online checking account and debit card aimed to boost your credit score
Build credit by paying bills that wouldn’t affect your credit score otherwise, including streaming services and phone bills
55,000+ free ATMs in the Allpoint network
Deposits are FDIC-insured for up to $250,000 through partner bank Community Federal Savings Bank

Dora Financial Dora Financial Everyday Checking Account

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Bank On certified bank account
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No credit check
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. App fully in English or Spanish
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $1 out-of-network ATM fee
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited customer service support
Access to 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs
The Everyday Checking Account serves as a second chance bank account, so it won't allow you to overdraw from your account
NCUA insured through US Alliance Financial

$1 monthly service fee

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No credit check required
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Dave card included
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $1 monthly membership fee
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. 1% fee per transaction if you use Google Pay or Apple Pay
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't allow you to overdraw from your account
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't accept wire transfers
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited ways to deposit cash

Dave may stand out if you're comfortable with mobile banking and searching for tools to help build your credit score. Its Dave Spending Account also might be worth exploring if you've struggled to open a bank account due to poor credit history.

Access to over 37,000 surcharge-free ATMs through the MoneyPass ATM network
Dave charges a $1 membership fee to access the Dave Spending Account and apps budgeting features
Dave will deny your purchase if you overdraw from your account
If you'd like to deposit cash, you'll have to visit a Green Dot location (can't deposit cash at ATMs)
Dave Spending Account may only be opened as an individual bank account
FDIC insured through Evolve Bank & Trust

$3 monthly service fee

Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. $15 minimum opening deposit
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Debit or ATM card option
Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. May upgrade to a traditional checking account after 6 months
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $3 monthly service fee
con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $2 out-of-network ATM fee
Over 65 branches and ATMs in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana
Meets the Bank On National Account Standards
No checks included for TheFirst Step Checking; Debit or ATM card available upon request
May upgrade to a traditional checking account at The First Bank after 6 months
Can't overdraw from bank account

Best Second Chance Bank Accounts: FAQs

People who are denied standard bank accounts because of past issues like overdrafts, bounced checks , or negative balances generally qualify for second chance banking.

Yes, many second chance bank accounts come with monthly bank maintenance fees , although some banks may waive fees for second chance bank accounts after you've had the bank account for a certain amount of time and haven't run into any problems.

Not directly, but they can help. While second chance bank accounts don't directly report to credit bureaus, responsible use of these accounts can help your credit by helping you qualify for other credit-building products.

Transitioning from second chance to standard banking takes time. Typically, you'll need to have a second chance bank account in good standing for six to 12 months before you can get a standard account.

No, not every bank offers a second chance bank account. Community banks and credit unions are more likely to offer them as part of their efforts to promote financial inclusion.

Several banks offers second-chance bank accounts. Capital One 360, The First Bank, and SoFi all offer second-chance bank account that don't check ChexSystems, for instance.

The best second chance bank accounts will give people with bad credit a chance to open bank accounts and earn interest without charging high monthly maintenance fees. Ideally, banks will avoid ATM fees and other types of fees, as well.

Here are the best second-chance bank accounts as picked by Business Insider editors in 2024.

Capital One 360 Checking is notably one of our top picks from the best checking accounts guide. It doesn't charge monthly service fees, foreign transaction fees, or overdraft fees. You'll also have access to 70,000 surcharge-free ATMs through the Capital One, MoneyPass, and AllPoint ATM networks.

Capital One 360 doesn't use ChexSystems to assess your risk as a consumer when opening a bank account.

At Capital One, you'll also be able to open a high-yield savings account and CDs without having to worry about ChexSystems.

Capital One 360 Checking Accounts automatically decline overdrafts if you don't choose an overdraft service. The bank also charges a $2 fee if you use an out-of-network ATM.

Capital One 360 Bank Review

Chime Checking and Savings Account

The Chime® Checking Account and Chime Savings Account do not require a credit check or review by ChexSystems.

Chime also stands out because it doesn't charge monthly service fees, and you may open an online account from anywhere in the US.

Before you open a savings account, you're required to open a checking account. This is also an online-only account, so you'll have to be comfortable with online banks .

Chime Bank Review

Varo Bank and Savings Account

The Varo Bank Account , which is the bank's version of a checking account, is a great choice if you're looking for a second chance bank account with zero monthly service fees. It also offers early direct deposit.

Varo doesn't use ChexSystems to review your bank account history. You also don't need to worry about a credit check.

At Varo, you could also get a high-yield savings account with a competitive interest rate. The Varo Savings Account pays 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 if you receive direct deposits of $1,000 each month and keep a positive balance in the Varo Bank Account and Savings Account.

To qualify for the the Varo Savings Account, you must open the Varo Bank Account first. Varo is also an online-only financial institution so it doesn't have physical branches.

Varo Bank Review

SoFi Checking and Savings doesn't require a review of ChexSystems. You also might like this account if you're comfortable maintaining your checking and savings in one account.

SoFi is offering a cash bonus of up to $300 with qualifying direct deposit for eligible customers (offer expires 12/31/24).

The account works best if you set up a direct deposit. That way, you'll qualify for the cash bonus and the highest-tier interest rate on savings account balances.

SoFi Bank Review

Experian Smart Money doesn't use ChexSystems to review your banking history. You also might like this account if you're looking for ways to build credit. Experian Smart is automatically linked to Experian Boost , which is a financial tool that allows you to build credit for making on-time payments for phone bills, utility bills, rent payments, and more.

The account also offers early direct deposits and a $50 bonus when you set up direct deposit.

You might prefer one of our other top picks if you want overdraft protection. If you make a transaction that would result in a negative account balance, Experian will deny the purchase.

Experian Smart Money Review

The Dora Financial Everyday Checking Account is Bank On certified, which means it meets the program's requirements of low costs and low fees. It's a great option if you'd like to open an online account with a $0.

Dora Financial may also stand out if you primarily speak Spanish. The platform's mobile app is available in English and Spanish.

Customer support may be limited since it's only available through the platform's mobile app or email. If you prefer telephone customer support, you might consider other accounts.

Doral Financial Review

You might like the Dave Spending Account if you're searching for a banking option with budgeting features, rewards, and a high interest rate. You may set up individual personal finance goals or keep track of how much you spend in a specific category by creating a budget. Dave also has a unique feature called Dave Side Hustle. You can find remote work opportunities by setting up a profile through the app.

Dave is a mobile fintech platform with a bank account that doesn't require a credit check.

There's a $1 monthly service fee to use the Dave mobile app. If you don't want to deal with monthly fees, you might consider choosing one of our other top picks.

Dave Spending Account Review

The First Bank First Step Checking

First Step Checking might be ideal if you'd like to open an account with a brick-and-mortar bank. The First Bank is one of the largest community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to offer a second chance bank account in multiple states.

Compared to other second chance bank accounts at brick-and-mortar financial institutions, it has a low monthly service fee.

The First Bank only serves residents in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana. The account also doesn't include checks. You'll need to upgrade to a traditional checking account after six months to have access to check writing.

The First Bank Review

Bank Trustworthiness and BBB Ratings

The Better Business Bureau assesses businesses based on responses to customer complaints, honesty in advertising, and transparency about business practices.

Below are the BBB ratings of our favorite banking options.

Chime has an NR rating from the BBB because the BBB is reviewing Chime's page.

Varo received an A- rating because it has received a high volume of customer complaints on the BBB website.

Experian received a B- rating from BBB because it has received a high volume of customer complaints, had government actions taken against the company, and has taken a long time to respond to customer complaints.

Dora Financial currently has an NR (No Rating) from the BBB due to insufficient information. Their partner bank, USALLIANCE Financial, received a D- rating because it has failed to respond to several customer complaints.

Dave has a B+ rating from the BBB due to a high volume of customer complaints.

Capital One, Chime, and Experian have been involved in a recent public controversies.

Capital One used to have an account called 360 Savings. In 2019, Capital One launched the new 360 Performance Savings Account, which paid a much a higher interest rate. Many customers thought their old savings accounts would transition into this new one, but in reality, they had to open a new 360 Performance Savings Account to earn the higher rate. So some customers have been earning a significantly lower savings rate for years.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs' lawyers allege that Capital One didn't inform 360 Savings customers that these were two distinct accounts, or that 360 Performance Savings paid a higher rate. However, Capital One wants this case dismissed because it claims people had every opportunity to learn these facts on their own. This case is still ongoing.

In 2024, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation entered into a consent order with Chime , which required Chime to pay $2.5 million. DFPI claimed that Chime wasn't properly handling customer complaints. Through the consent order, Chime agreed to make reforms to its customer service procedures.

In 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau required Chime to pay a total of $3 million , with $1.5 million going to consumers. The CFPB says that Chime misrepresented the time and fees involved in some of its transfers.

In 2023, Experian was required to pay $650,000 in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC claimed that Experian was sending emails marketing additional products to customers without giving them an option to unsubscribe. Experian did not admit wrongdoing by settling.

In November 2022, Experian was required to pay a total of $13.67 million regarding two settlements over data breaches that occurred in 2012 and 2015. The 2015 breach occurred when an authorized person obtained access to personal information in the Experian network, primarily affecting people who applied for T-Mobile services between September 2013 and September 2015. The 2012 breach involved identity theft.

Understanding Second Chance Banking

We've provided information on what second chance banking is and whether you would qualify for it to help you decide whether opening a second chance bank account is right for you.

A second chance bank account is a type of checking account for people who have a bad enough banking history that they can't open standard accounts. Some second chance bank accounts are savings accounts, although they probably won't offer as high an annual percent interest as the best high-yield savings accounts do. Generally, the banks that offer second chance bank accounts don't use ChexSystems to check your credit history, so you don't need a good credit score to open these accounts.

If someone has a history of overdrafting, not paying fees, or having a negative balance, they might not be able to open a regular bank account. Second chance bank accounts let them have an account they can use to build up a good banking history and, eventually, qualify for standards accounts and products again.

Features of Second Chance Bank Accounts

Basic account functions.

Second chance bank accounts generally function a lot like regular bank accounts: they provide a place for you to keep the money that you plan on spending, whether that's for regular expenses like rent, mortgages, or utilities or for purchases like groceries.

Some, but not all, second chance bank accounts also allow you to use debit cards and checks for purchases. Depending on the bank you choose, you might also be able to bank online using mobile banking apps .

Monitoring and Restrictions

Some second chance bank accounts don't offer all of the features you'd expect from a checking account. They might not let you use checks or debit cards to make sure you don't accidentally overspend. They also might not let you overdraft. While this means you won't rack up overdraft fees, the best banks for overdrafts offer overdraft protection.

Second chance bank accounts might also come with higher monthly fees. Check with the bank you're planning on using to see what fees and features their second chance bank account comes with.

Benefits of Second Chance Banking

If you can't open a standard checking account, second chance bank accounts can be invaluable when it comes to paying bills and building a strong financial history.

With a checking account, it's much easier to save and spend money. You can easily cash checks you receive, you don't need to keep track of paper bills for everything, and it's easier to keep track of your funds as you're learning how to budget .

Second chance accounts also help you build up a healthier banking history. If you can keep your second chance bank account in good standing for six to 12 months, you'll generally be able to start opening standard accounts with more features and lower fees. You can also start working on savings goals , like saving up to buy a house, which in turn can help your credit history.

How to Find and Open a Second Chance Bank Account

When looking for a second chance bank account, check credit unions and community banks near you. Both of these are more likely to offer second chance bank accounts, as they're more likely to offer programs supporting financial inclusivity. Some larger banks also offer second chance bank accounts, so make sure to read up on several different banks to see which account is right for you.

When deciding which bank to use, keep an eye out for service fees and features. In general, you'll want an account with a lower service fee, especially if you've struggled with paying fees in the past. However, you'll also want to decide which features, like early direct deposit , might be important enough to you to pay a slightly larger fee.

Otherwise, opening a second chance banking account is similar to opening a checking account . The only place where it differs is in identification requirements; depending on the institution, second chance bank accounts are more likely to allow non-standard types of ID, such as foreign IDs or passports.

Tips for Successfully Managing a Second Chance Bank Account

Staying within limits.

When you have a second chance bank account, it's important to make sure you're practicing good banking habits so you can build up your history. A lot of the tips for how to save money apply here. Make sure you're not overdrafting your account or trying to make purchases you can't pay for. Also make sure to pay any fees that come with your account on time, so you're not building up unpaid fees.

Graduating to a Standard Account

After a certain time period, usually between six to 12 months, you'll be able to switch from a second chance account to a standard account. Check with your bank to see how long that period is, and make sure to switch to a standard account when you can to access better features and a potentially lower fee.

Why You Should Trust Us: Expert Advice on Choosing the Best Bank Account

To learn more about what makes a good bank or credit union and how to choose the best fit, four experts weighed in:

Tania Brown, certified financial planner and vice president of coaching strategy at OfColor
Roger Ma, certified financial planner with lifelaidout® and author of "Work Your Money, Not Your Life"
Sophia Acevedo, certified educator in personal finance, banking editor, Business Insider
Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, BoujieBudgets.com

The things you should look for in a second-chance bank account are about the same as any other bank account. Here are a few questions our experts have shared that can help you figure out if a specific bank account is right for you:

Are you clear on the fees, and whether you can waive them?
Are you confident in bank security, and how accessible your money is in-person or online?
Is the bank FDIC-insured?
How easy is it to get ahold of customer service, and when are they available?
How easy is it to transfer money in and out of your account?

Methodology: How We Chose the Best Second Chance Bank Accounts

At Business Insider, our goal is to create useful content that helps you make good decisions about your money. We recognize every person has distinct preferences, so we provide ample options to help you find the most suitable financial product or account.

We research extensively to make sure you know the standout features and limitations of a financial institution.

First, we researched to find financial institutions that offered second chance bank accounts. We looked at our Hispanic American-owned banks and credit unions guide, our Black-owned banks and credit unions guide, best banks of 2024, and CDFI reviews to compile a list of institutions to consider.

Then, we reviewed second chance bank accounts to find the most-well rounded banking options. Our top picks have low minimum opening deposits and low monthly services fees. Several of our favorite accounts can be easily opened from anywhere in the U.S.

See our full ratings methodology for checking, business checking, savings, and money market accounts »

Are banks open today? Here's a list of US bank holidays for 2024
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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Trump verdict will not affect his 2024 election chances

Former President Donald Trump after he was found guilty on 34 felony counts at Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig

This guest essay reflects the views of Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He wrote this for the Tribune News Service.

Former President Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in New York is an ignoble first. No former president has ever been tried, much less found guilty, for felonies before.

But Trump’s new status as a convicted felon probably won’t significantly affect his chances of winning the 2024 presidential election.

That, too is a strange historic first: a presidential candidate convicted of felonies, but suffering little if any political damage in the process.

However sensational the charges, which stemmed from hush money payments made to an adult film actress, many voters will react to the Manhattan jury’s decision with a shrug.

The conviction won’t prevent him from staying in the race until election day. If he wins, he stands a good chance of avoiding serious penalties while he’s in the White House.

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It won’t be easy to spin a conviction on 34 felony counts as a victory, but there are plenty of ways Trump can mitigate the consequences.

He’ll continue to claim that the charges were flimsy and the process was rigged against him.

If he appeals the verdict, as expected, that will allow him to argue — correctly — that a conviction isn’t final while it’s under challenge. Not incidentally, it will also keep him out of jail, at least for a while.

Why do I say the guilty verdict won’t likely put much of a dent in Trump’s electoral prospects? Because that’s what the smartest political pollsters, Republicans and Democrats, say.

Democratic strategist Mark Mellman said the conviction was “unlikely to play a significant role” in the election. “It’s possible that the polls will flutter and then return to where they were. And it’s possible that there won’t be a flutter.”

Republican pollster Whit Ayres said the verdict’s impact would most likely be “negligible.”

In an ABC News/IPSOS poll last month, only 16% of Trump’s current voters said they would “reconsider” supporting him if he were convicted in the New York case. A mere 4% said they would definitely stop supporting him. But voters are often poor predictors of their own reactions, the pollsters said.

Many Democrats told pollsters in 1998 that they thought then-President Clinton should resign if he were impeached for lying about a sexual relationship with a White House intern, Mellman noted. But when the Republican-led House of Representatives actually impeached Clinton, his popularity soared.

Trump voters have proved fiercely loyal to their favored candidate, felon or not.

A month before the 2016 presidential election, when a videotape surfaced in which Trump boasted of kissing women without asking and grabbing them “by the pussy,” his poll numbers dropped by only one percentage point and rebounded quickly.

“We have seen, over eight years, a series of events that caused people to say, ‘Surely this time, Trump will lose support.’ But he never really does,” Ayres said.

Trump himself has marveled at the phenomenon. “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” he said in 2016. “It’s, like, incredible.”

The presumptive Republican nominee has primed his supporters to ignore a guilty verdict by relentlessly attacking the cases against him as politically motivated.

“If I were trying to design a court case that would be easy for Republicans to dismiss as a partisan witch hunt, I would design the New York case,” Ayres said, noting that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is not only a Democrat, but a vocal Trump critic.

Trump has also shown that constant repetition of even bogus claims can bend public opinion his way.

Case in point: his false claims, long since disproved, that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. A year ago, the Monmouth University Poll found that 68% of Republicans said they believed President Joe Biden won the election through fraud. This year, after Trump spent months denouncing the election at campaign rallies, that number has ticked up to 75%.

Despite the verdict in New York, Trump has scored an important victory in all four of his criminal cases: He and his lawyers, aided by a dose of luck, have succeeded in postponing any final reckoning until after election day.

Six months ago, any of the cases could have threatened his presidential campaign: a federal prosecution stemming from his supporters’ invasion of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; a federal case on charges he illegally retained highly classified documents; a Georgia election interference case; and the New York business fraud case.

Trump has contrived to postpone the trials in three of those cases and will likely appeal his verdict in the fourth. The appeals process would last far beyond the election.

Those delays won’t make the charges go away.

But if Trump wins the election, once he is president he can order the Justice Department to halt the two federal cases. Some career Justice Department officials might refuse to carry out those orders, but a newly inaugurated president will presumably be able to find — or appoint — someone willing to do his bidding.

And under most legal precedent, state courts would put his prosecutions in New York and Georgia on hold while he’s in the White House. If he takes office in January and completes a full term, none of the cases would be decided before 2029, when he’ll be 82.

Being the first former president ever convicted on criminal charges is a dubious achievement, to be sure.

Equally unprecedented — and potentially more damaging to democracy — Trump has given future politicians a dangerous example: He has shown that felony convictions need not stand in the way of success.

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Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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Perhaps Lost in the Polling: The Race for President Is Still Close

Though he trails in the polls, President Biden has mostly held his support among white voters. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin probably offer his clearest path to victory.

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By Nate Cohn

There’s no way around it: The news for President Biden hasn’t been great.

He has trailed in national and battleground state polls for months. His approval ratings are among the lowest on record for a first-term president. He’s struggling among young, Black and Hispanic voters. And all of this against an opponent who faces several criminal trials, including one that could have a verdict this week.

But the news is not all bad for Mr. Biden — or, at least, it’s not all that bad. The race is still pretty close. It’s close enough that he would have a very serious chance to win if the election were held tomorrow. And of course, the race won’t be held tomorrow: There are five-plus months to go for a possible Biden comeback.

Together, there’s a case for taking a glass-almost-half-full perspective on Mr. Biden’s chances. Right or wrong, it’s a case that maybe hasn’t gotten quite as much attention as it deserves.

The electoral map

How is the race close? Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

If Mr. Biden won those battleground states, he’d probably be re-elected as president. They would combine to give him exactly 270 electoral college votes provided he held everywhere he won by six percentage points or more in 2020. That means he could lose all of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio and so on, and still win.

Yes, Donald J. Trump does lead most polls of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. But the race is close in all three states.

In our recent New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College polls , Mr. Trump led by an average of one percentage point across the three states among likely voters. The 538 and RealClearPolitics polling averages both show Mr. Trump ahead by just one point across those states, and Mr. Trump doesn’t appear to lead by more than around two points in any of them.

As a consequence, Mr. Biden is within two points in states worth 270 electoral votes. Looking back over the longer run, his two-point deficit in the key states makes this election closer than those heading into Election Day in 2020, 2016, 2012 and 2008. If the election were held tomorrow, it wouldn’t be especially surprising if Mr. Biden won by narrowly sweeping these three states.

In fact, Mr. Biden could win if the election were held tomorrow even if the polls had an above-average year in terms of accuracy, simply because the polls don’t have to be off by much at all for him to prevail.

One reason Mr. Biden’s resilience in these states may be overlooked is that many organizations, including The Times, have been conducting polls of all six battleground states. Mr. Biden trails narrowly in the three Northern states, but Mr. Trump often claims a significant lead in the three Sun Belt states. Together, it’s clearly a bad set of numbers for Mr. Biden. But his overall deficit across these six states may overstate his challenge.

Demographics

Why is Mr. Biden competitive in the Northern battlegrounds? White voters and older voters.

In Times/Siena polling this year, Mr. Biden is running only about a point behind how he fared among white voters in 2020. For good measure, he’s also faring a bit better than he did among voters over 65. Other polls tell a similar story.

Mr. Biden’s resilience among white voters and older voters hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but it’s very important. White voters will make up around 70 percent of the electorate in November, and their share will be even higher in the Northern battleground states that Mr. Biden will be counting on. And voters over 65 will outnumber those under 30.

In a sense, Mr. Biden has already done what would ordinarily be the hard part for a Democrat. All he needs now is what’s supposed to be the easy part: getting the usual big Democratic margins among young, Black and Hispanic voters.

We’ve spent a lot of time explaining that Democratic strength in special elections can mostly be attributed to a pronounced advantage among the most highly engaged, high-turnout voters. As such, Democrats’ big wins in special elections do nothing to really disprove Mr. Biden’s weakness in general election polling.

But his strength among high-turnout voters is nonetheless an important edge. We just wrote about this last week , so I won’t dwell too much on it. But it raises the possibility that Mr. Biden may yet be able to win back many of the less engaged voters who support Mr. Trump in the polls. And if not, perhaps many of his disengaged defectors simply won’t show up.

Many months to go

The polls aren’t perfect — they’ve been off before and they’ll be off again. They wouldn’t really need to be off-target by much at all for Mr. Biden to squeak out a victory.

But even if the polls were exactly “right,” in the sense that Mr. Trump would win if the election were held tomorrow by the precise margins implied by the recent polls, Mr. Biden would still have a very real chance to win in November.

More than five months, after all, is a very long time in presidential politics. A billion dollars in advertisements, the debates, a possible conviction and countless other events are all still ahead. This year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a large number of so-called “double-haters,” and Mr. Trump’s dependence on traditionally Democratic young and nonwhite voters make it even easier to see how the race might become volatile. The issue of democracy may not dominate the news today, but it will almost certainly be a central theme in the final weeks — perhaps especially if Mr. Trump is ahead.

Mr. Biden may be down slightly today, but there’s still a long way to go.

Nate Cohn is The Times’s chief political analyst. He covers elections, public opinion, demographics and polling. More about Nate Cohn

Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race: News and Analysis

Donald Trump’s conviction on nearly three dozen felony counts plunges the country into unmapped political terrain , a rare moment that could reshuffle a 2024 race that for months has been locked in stasis and defined by a polarizing former president.

President Biden’s absence in the hours after Trump was found guilty testified to the awkward position confronting the current occupant of the White House when it comes to holding his predecessor accountable.

Moments after a jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts in his hush-money trial, he worked his conviction into the story of persecution at the center of his presidential campaign.

Fixing Social Security: A small tax increase would make the essential national retirement program secure for decades, our columnist says, but lawmakers would have to take action.

Flip-Flopping on Abortion: Republican candidates in the country’s most competitive Senate races have changed their approach on the issue of abortion , softening their rhetoric, shifting their positions and even embracing policies championed by Democrats.

New Jersey Senate and House Races: On June 4, Democrats and Republicans will choose nominees for the U.S. Senate. In the House, Representative Rob Menendez faces a strong primary challenge.

Clashing Appeals to Black Voters: Biden and Trump both see Black outreach as critical to winning in November. But their approaches differ in fundamental and revealing ways .

arrow_backward Second Chance Essays

It's Here! Second Chance Month!

For the month of April, JSTOR Access in Prison is exploring Second Chance Month from the perspective of people who are navigating post-release life.

April has been designated as Second Chance Month, a time to focus on the reintegration of individuals who have been incarcerated back into society, emphasizing the "power of redemption and the importance of providing second chances." However, calling it "Second Chance Month" might not fully capture the reality for many of those it seeks to support. The stark truth is that a significant number of these individuals never truly received a first chance. This realization is not just a semantic distinction—it's a profound understanding that comes from listening to the stories of those directly impacted by the criminal legal system. Register here to spend an hour each Thursday in April with these incredible people and those who educated them while they were incarcerated.

The JSTOR Access in Prison theme for April 2024 is "Second Chance Mentality" First Chance Reality." The title was the result of sessions with learners who were sentenced as juveniles and spent decades in prison. Many of these individuals, now living as adults in their 30s and 40s, are experiencing what it means to live freely in society for the first time as adults. Their narratives often reveal a common thread: a childhood marred by poverty, limited access to education, and a lack of guidance—factors that significantly constrained their opportunities from the start. Second Chance Month chafed them, and they chose...a different narrative.

It is from these personal accounts that we've learned the importance of redefining what a "chance" truly means. For some, their time in prison ironically provided them with access to educational resources and self-improvement opportunities that were unavailable to them in their communities. Education, which should be a universal right, became a privilege that they could only access in the confines of a prison classroom. This stark irony underlines the systemic failures that precede incarceration for many individuals.

In acknowledging these realities, our approach is one of compassion and determination to support their educational journey. The individuals we've learned from with have shown remarkable resilience and an inspiring commitment to help others. Their efforts to build opportunities for those who have been similarly marginalized are not just acts of service but are also their way of reshaping a society that maybe could have done more to give them a fair first chance.

As we observe Second Chance Month, let's remember that for many, the journey towards a second chance is also about seeking more first chances for others. It's a call to action for all of us to listen, learn, and contribute to a society where every individual has the opportunity to thrive from the start. Their stories remind us that while we cannot change the past, we can work together to build a more equitable and compassionate future.

COMMENTS

Second Chances, Social Forgiveness, and the Internet
Second Chances, Social Forgiveness, and the Internet. This piece's co-author is Radhika Bhat. A young man in upstate New York drinks too much and gets a little rowdy, picks a fight, smashes up the bar, and is arrested. When he gets into trouble again a short time later, the judge sends him to jail for a week.
Second Chance Essays
Giving the Educated a Second Chance By Kwaneta Harris. A Second Chance Essay about the limited opportunities for people with an education once released from prison. The author has spent 7 years in solitary confinement. Once the prison term is served the debt to society is paid. In the USA, we have shortages in various careers. Let us return to ...
Second Chances
Featured Essays Essays on the Radio; Special Features; ... Whether you call it a do-over or a mulligan, the philosophy of the second chance has saved many a sports endeavor, homework assignment, career, or relationship. To move beyond the mistake or failure and start fresh is an opportunity for redemption at its most fundamental level.
The Elusive Second Chance: Is Redemption a Right or a Privilege?
When we begin to think of second chances this way—as a privilege, not a right—they become potentially unjust and troublesome. Judgments of a person's deservedness are always a function of both individual traits and social identifiers. Hence, second chance opportunities can be influenced by the stratified components of our social selves ...
Essay About Second Chances
Essay About Second Chances. Ever since I was young, I was taught that everyone deserves a second chance to redeem themselves of what they truly believe is right. Growing up with a younger brother challenged me, as I always loved being the center of attention before he was born. Sharing with him was a struggle, as it often turned into screaming ...
Giving the Educated a Second Chance By Kwaneta Harris
A Second Chance Essay about the limited opportunities for people with an education once released from prison. The author has spent 7 years in solitary confinement. Stacy Burnett. When the discussion turns to education and second chances, what's often overlooked are the educated people entering person. In the us, women are the fastest growing ...
Why Giving Everyone a Second Chance Is Important
It produces more crime, more victims, more families broken apart, and higher costs to everyone. While second chance programs certainly exist to help with that transition back into the community, there's also an almost comical number of obstacles that make getting back to an ordinary life difficult. The nonprofit National Inventory of ...
Education and Second Chances by Cantrell Shawn-Norman Garner
Editor's Note: Cantrell's essay taught me that people in prison can be part of greek-letter honor societies. The FAQ on Phi Theta Kappa's site reads: "We even offer membership to incarcerated students who are seeking a second chance in life - Phi Theta Kappa doesn't hinder anyone from that" and that inclusion for people attending college while in prison is wonderful.
Second Chance Essay
The Second Chance Act is a program that was introduced in 2007. The main goal of the Second Chance Act is to give convicts a second chance in the world while on parole. It does this by forgiving or going easy on minor or technical violations that would have normally sent parolees back to prison. Other main functions of the act include mentoring ...
I Believe in Second Chances Free Essay Example
5109. Carl Band once said, "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.". Growing up, I've learned to believe in second chances. Throughout my lifetime, I have noticed that every person makes mistakes at various points in their lifetime. As humans, we tend to hold grudges ...
The Other Wes Moore: Second Chances
Get original essay. Second chances depend on one's actions and the consequences of those actions. In some cases, people do not deserve multiple chances due to their previous actions. For example, in The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, the other Wes is given chance after chance by his mother to stop getting into trouble, and when he goes ...
Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance for Students
100 Words Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance Why Second Chances Matter. Everyone makes mistakes. It's a part of being human. Giving someone another chance means allowing them to try again and do better. Think of it like playing a video game. If you lose a life, you're grateful for the opportunity to start over and improve your skills.
Second chances
Literature embraces second chance to allow for practice of forgiveness and transformation of characters. Since the aim of the work of art is presenting and developing characters, some make choices in life which they later regret and always possess wishful thinking for a second chance. For instance, Allworthy, the main character in Tom Jones ...
A Second Chance [Admission Essay Example]
A Second Chance. Disappointing your parents to the point where they start crying and questioning if all the sacrifices, they've made for you were worth it or not is the worst feeling a child can face. Especially after your parents left their home country, their parents, their friends behind all to give you a better life than they had.
Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance Research Paper
As such, this paper will explore the various arguments, debates, and controversies associated with giving second chances to felons and where the stance of the justice department is on the issue. It is expected through this examination; a greater understanding can develop regarding the impact of second chances on both society and the present day ...
5 Strategies To Unlock Your Winning College Essay
The best essays have clear, coherent language and are free of errors. The story is clearly and specifically told. After drafting, take the time to revise and polish your writing. Seek feedback ...
Second Chances essays
A second chance is like a gift for people who make mistakes. It allows them to learn from their first mistake and do a better job the second time around. In the beginning of The Testament, Nate O'Riely had many problems. He was in rehab due to his alcoholism and drug addictions.
Second Chance admission essay help!
Hi everyone! I'm looking for some help. I currently want to apply for a transfer to a new school to enter in their second chance program (gives students with low gpa an opportunity to explain their academic history and request special admission) It needs to be less than 500 words and I am having some difficulty condensing all that I want to say, in only 500 words. I would really appreciate ...
Best Second Chance Bank Accounts of 2024
Capital One 360 Checking is notably one of our top picks from the best checking accounts guide. It doesn't charge monthly service fees, foreign transaction fees, or overdraft fees. You'll also ...
Elektrostal
In 1938, it was granted town status. [citation needed]Administrative and municipal status. Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as Elektrostal City Under Oblast Jurisdiction—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, Elektrostal City Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as Elektrostal Urban Okrug.
Second Chance Month Essays
Second Chance Month Essays. A collection of creative works by people with lived experience inside jails and prisons that address education and Second Chances. Stacy Burnett (artwork by Brian Bragg) The typical Second Chance Month is a flood of images and stories about people who have emerged from jail and prison with a success story.
Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Elektrostal Geography. Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal. Elektrostal Geographical coordinates. Latitude: 55.8, Longitude: 38.45. 55° 48′ 0″ North, 38° 27′ 0″ East. Elektrostal Area. 4,951 hectares. 49.51 km² (19.12 sq mi) Elektrostal Altitude.
Pennsylvania Board of Pardons Updates and Expands Eligibility for
During the Wolf Administration, the Board of Pardons created an expedited review program for non-violent marijuana-specific convictions. The updated expedited review process expands eligibility to applicants with other kinds of non-violent offenses on their record. As part of the expanded program, the Board's staff will review those ...
Closing Arguments Are Coming in Trump's Trial. Here's How They Work
By Kate Christobek. May 28, 2024. After five grueling weeks of testimony, prosecutors and defense lawyers will have one final chance to sway the 12 jurors in the Manhattan criminal trial of Donald ...
Elektrostal
Elektrostal. Elektrostal ( Russian: Электроста́ль) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is 58 kilometers (36 mi) east of Moscow. As of 2010, 155,196 people lived there.
Trump verdict will not affect his 2024 election chances
This guest essay reflects the views of Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He wrote this for the Tribune News Service. Former President Donald Trump's conviction on 34 ...
Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery and Museum
Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar ...
Perhaps Lost in the Polling: The Race for President Is Still Close
Together, there's a case for taking a glass-almost-half-full perspective on Mr. Biden's chances. Right or wrong, it's a case that maybe hasn't gotten quite as much attention as it deserves ...
It's Here! Second Chance Month!
April has been designated as Second Chance Month, a time to focus on the reintegration of individuals who have been incarcerated back into society, emphasizing the "power of redemption and the importance of providing second chances." However, calling it "Second Chance Month" might not fully capture the reality for many of those it seeks to ...
How Nick Gonzales found his swing in second chance with Pirates
3:25 AM. Off The Bat is a weekly Pirates column powered by North Shore Tavern, Pittsburgh's home for steak on a stone. A challenging rookie season necessitated Nick Gonzales make some ...