Dear John,
For Second Chances Month, Dream.Org is proud to partner with the powerful new documentary film The 50. This incredible story follows 50 incarcerated individuals in the California Department of Corrections who defied expectations by becoming certified substance abuse counselors through an unprecedented program while behind bars.
The 50 takes an honest look at the cycles of trauma, hurt, and healing in these men's lives. Despite being given up on by many, they took a brave journey of personal growth and transformation to not only heal themselves but to become healers for others struggling with addiction.
Learn More About
the 50 Film Here!
The program at the heart of the film, the “Offender Mentor Certification Program (OMCP)”, is achieving amazing results:
- A 1% recidivism rate for OMCP graduates, compared to 50% statewide
- A 90% pass rate on the certification exam for counselors
- Over 500 incarcerated graduates now equipped to meet the nationwide shortage of counselors upon release
While The 50 shines a light on the successes possible through rehabilitation over punishment, it also reveals an ugly truth — that millions of Americans like these men are stripped of their voting rights due to outdated and discriminatory laws that instantly strip someone of their right to vote once convicted of a felony. In fact, even after release from prison, their right to vote is rarely restored quickly or without having to go through several layers of red tape.
Click Here to Tell Congress: Pass the Democracy Restoration Act!
That's why for Second Chances Month, Dream.Org is urging Congress to pass the Democracy Restoration Act and abolish this unjust barrier to rights restoration.
We need you to add your voice and demand our Senators and Representatives put an end to the discriminatory, Jim Crow-era practice of stripping voting rights as a penalty for felony convictions. This destructive policy has disproportionately disenfranchised Black, Brown, and economically disadvantaged communities — causing further harm to already marginalized populations.
Denying those who have done everything society has asked of them the ability to participate in our democracy is a barrier to successful reintegration into our communities upon release from incarceration. It's time to eliminate this unjust relic that perpetuates systemic racism and injustice.
We cannot claim to believe in second chances while continuing to silence and ostracize those who have served their time. The 50 shows the transformation possible when we have faith in human potential and support rehabilitation over punishment alone.
Click Here to Tell Congress: Pass the Democracy Restoration Act!
This Second Chances Month, join us in uplifting the powerful stories in The 50 and advocating for the Democracy Restoration Act to break down barriers to re-entry.
In solidarity,
— The Justice Team at Dream.Org
