Hey John, 

Last week may have marked the end of Second Chance Month, but the fight to reform our criminal legal system does not just take place one month out of the year. April isn’t the only time to recognize the lifelong barriers that prevent people, especially young BIPOC, from gainful employment, equitable housing, and education. Generation Progress has, and will continue, to call on lawmakers to shrink the criminal legal system.

Did you know that young people with a criminal conviction have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic? We wrote a piece that breaks it all down.

This column urges Congress and state lawmakers to take action. Young justice-involved people already faced hardships before the pandemic and we're highlighting how those hardships have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have to not only shine a light on the disproportionate harms faced by justice-involved young people during the pandemic, we must also urge lawmakers to include them in economic recovery efforts and help mitigate the impact of a criminal record on young adults. Check it out for more.

Then take a look at even more ways you can take action towards progress year round!

Hassen Bashir
Advocacy Associate 
Generation Progress