second chance essay

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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Essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

Students are often asked to write an essay on Everyone Deserves A Second Chance in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

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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‘I was given a second chance’: six amazing people describe how their lives changed forever

The nun who fell in love with a priest, the victim of gang crime who went to the North Pole, the wounded Iraqi teen who made a new life in America…

Qusay Hussein: injured by a bomb in Iraq, rescued by Médecins Sans Frontières

When I think about my childhood I think of colours. The orangey-brown mud of the family home; the deep, rich greens of the mountains on either side of our valley. Home was Abujna, a small village on the edge of Mosul, Iraq. Life changed when the war started in 2003. We were a little away from the fighting, but I saw planes shooting a car on the street next to our village. Two men and a woman were killed. Then famine hit and the farm could no longer provide for us. We moved to Hatra when I was 15 in order to find the money to survive.

The evening of 3 August 2006 was like any other. My friends and I were playing volleyball and a crowd had gathered to cheer us on. Towards the end of the match, I noticed a small truck coming towards us. I didn’t think much of it; people often drove up to watch us, and there was a place to grind wheat for flour close by. As the truck grew closer it got stuck in the sand. The driver, a man in his 50s or 60s, revved the engine heavily, and suddenly he was coming up close behind me. I jumped out of the way, as it looked as if he might crash into me. I caught his eye, he looked left and then right, and then directly at me with a smile. He pushed his hand down on the horn, and instead of honking, a whirring began.

Everything went dark at that point: just the red of the fire as people and cars flew through the air like birds. I was thrown upwards with the explosion, falling back to earth through the smoke headfirst. All I could see was smoke, and the blood flowing from my nose. All I could think to do was run, but as I stood up I was hit by shrapnel in the head. I lost control of my body and collapsed. There and then I lost my sight.

A few minutes later I heard my father’s voice. He was crying. I told him not to leave me else I would die. At the clinic the doctor told him I would be dead within 30 minutes. Thankfully I didn’t die, and soon my father was driving me to a hospital in downtown Mosul, a journey of 70 or 80 miles. En route we were stopped by American soldiers. I had no idea what was going on when they put a medical shot in my back, nor when I heard the sound of a helicopter approaching. I went into a coma for 12 days.

When I woke up an interpreter asked my name. I told her: Qusay. She thanked God I knew it, which I didn’t understand. I had no recollection of what had happened. As soon as she mentioned the explosion everything came back to me. If the shrapnel had hit my head just one hair’s width differently I’d have lost my entire memory. That, she told me, is why she thanked God.

My family assumed I’d died and were already in mourning. When my father received the call from the Americans 14 days later he didn’t believe I’d survived. He thought someone was trying to lure him towards danger. It was only when they mentioned the tattoo on my arm – my name – that he could let himself accept it.

Neither Iraqi doctors nor the US soldiers had the resources to help me heal, so for the following months I struggled, to breathe, to eat, to live. I had no nose, no cheek, half my skull was missing. Then one day I was half-listening to the TV – an advert was calling for people injured by war to get in touch with Médecins Sans Frontières . I was taken to Amman, Jordan, where I spent three years rehabilitating.

I live in Austin now. I’ve been here almost seven years, and soon I’ll have completed my degree at the University of Texas. I’m a refugee, a product of war, but in many ways I feel lucky. Not only am I still here, but I’ve started a new life doing things I could never have imagined. I’m hopeful about the future. If what I’ve been through has taught me anything, it is that you should take every opportunity that comes.

Kathy Pannozzi: former nun who found the love of her life at her local church

A lot of people were surprised when I entered the convent. I can see why. While I embraced every aspect of being a nun when I joined the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic convent in Providence, Rhode Island in 1965, aged 18, my life before might not have suggested it. I had boyfriends in high school and I liked to talk. There’s a lot of silence involved in being a nun and, of course, there are the vows: poverty, obedience and celibacy.

To my mind, it was the best way to be of service to the world. My sixth-grade teacher, Sister Maura, was my inspiration. She was fair and smart. We stayed in touch as I grew older and she mentored me as I started my training.

It was all very exciting at the beginning. Silence was expected for much of the day, and there were prayers, classes and chores. This was the 1960s in the United States and the Me generation was leading a revolution. I like to think becoming a nun was in its own way quite counter- cultural. After three years of living in isolation with my fellow trainees, years four and five were spent at an all-women’s college. We would stay up late on campus listening to music and talking. Asking what does it mean to be a religious woman? To be of service? To be celibate? Many of the women I started with decided life as a nun just wasn’t for them – they moved away, got married.

After taking up my teaching post, I delayed taking my vows for a year or so. I wanted to make sure my decision was right. But in the end I decided to stay and commit my life to God. It was 1974, and I decided I wouldn’t marry or have children. I made my vows and that was that.

And then in the fall of 1977, a new priest arrived at my local parish. By then I lived in an apartment with other sisters, and would regularly go to his church, St Mary’s. On 4 October I went to evening Mass as I often did. Frank was leading it; he seemed a nice guy, certainly good- looking. Afterwards I introduced myself and we talked for a while. I became a regular at the service, half to pray and half because of him: he gave a good sermon. He valued my thoughts and opinions. We became good friends.

Things carried on this way for two-and-a-half years, until 26 September 1980. I got home from work to hear Sister Maura was unwell and in hospital. I was inconsolable, not just because of her condition, but bereft that I’d never told her how much she meant to me; how much I valued her; that she was loved. I went to see her that night.

The next day I was with Frank. We were alone together, which was unusual for us, picking apples in an orchard. I told him about Sister Maura and how heartbroken I was. Frank turned to look at me: “Kathy, that’s how I feel about you.” Less than a year later we would be married.

Before then, I questioned my vows and my relationship to God. It took time, but I came to the conclusion I stick by today: being a Sister of Mercy was a gift from God, and so, too, was Frank appearing. I could take or leave either, to God it didn’t matter, because God is in the people all around us. I opted for Frank and I have not one regret. It’s 38 years since our wedding, and he’s a gift that just keeps on giving.

Dwayne Fields: victim of gang crime who became an explorer and naturalist

I’ve never carried a knife or a gun. But as I know too well, that doesn’t guarantee freedom from their violence. I’ve got two stab wounds on my body; I’ve been held at gunpoint on at least three occasions. That was just my life growing up on an estate in Stoke Newington, London. It was typical. One time I was walking with a friend through an estate in Tottenham and woke up waiting for an ambulance to collect me with one stab wound in my stomach and another in my chest. After that, people around me were saying we should catch up with my attackers and get them. There was pressure to get revenge. The more I heard those voices, the more I wondered if they were right.

By the age of 21 I’d tried to move on from that incident. I built a moped myself from scratch. I let my brother take it out on a test drive around our area. He was pushed off it on a neighbouring estate and it was stolen. I’ve never been as angry as I was when he returned. I marched over to where I knew I’d find these guys to demand it back. I found a group of eight or nine boys busy taking it apart. I went to grab it – we got into a fight. When I looked up, a gun was pointing right at me. I pushed my brother aside and looked directly into the eyes of the holder of the weapon. “You don’t have to do this,” I said, trying to stay calm.

And then he pulled the trigger. I heard the sound. Oh shit, I thought, I’ve been shot. I couldn’t feel any pain. I assumed I was just numb. He pulled the trigger again. Before the shooter could go in for a third, his friends pulled him away. As I walked the 10-minute journey home I stopped to look again for a bullet hole. Could the gun really have misfired twice? My phone was filling up with texts and calls: we’ve heard what happened, what are you going to do about it?

That night I re-evaluated everything. I thought back to the kid I was in Jamaica before I moved to London when I was seven; the time spent outdoors exploring in nature. I wanted to find that person again. Making decisions to fit in with the crowd just wasn’t working. I ran 10k, and completed the Three Peaks Challenge . I applied to join James Cracknell and Ben Fogle on a trip to the South Pole. I was too late; I was offered the North Pole instead. I wasn’t bothered. I’m from Jamaica, man, to me they were just cold and icy. Since then I’ve circumnavigated Jamaica by kayak, run ultra-marathons and trekked across the Sinai desert.

The adventures and expeditions are great – I can see the world and tell stories – but doing them also helps me show others how to live their best lives, too. I’ve been given a second, third, fourth chance. You need to seize them. As I tell everyone, you never know if you’ll get one again.

Jan Jacobs: realised she was gay at the age of 50 and started a new life

It didn’t feel a big deal when Erin, my daughter, came out as bisexual. There was no moment of revelation. It wasn’t long before she set about exploring her identity, and I wanted to be there with her. We went to Cardiff Pride together in 2011 – that’s the city where she was studying. I felt so comfortable, although I didn’t think much of it at the time.

There was a lot going on that year. I was about to turn 50 and my silver wedding anniversary was fast approaching. Chris, my husband, and I were already making plans, but I was sliding further and further into the abyss. I’d always been unsure in myself, ever since childhood. I’d lacked confidence. But I’d assumed as I grew older I’d feel better in myself. I was married, a mother, I worked as a teacher – a job I adored. So why was I miserable?

I’d been seeing a counsellor on and off for years, and after coming home from a weekend away with my girlfriends I went to see her. I was talking about feeling down, about loving Chris – my husband – but not feeling like I was in love with him. And then I heard these words coming from my mouth, as if another person inside me was speaking: “I think I’m gay.”

Where those words came from I still don’t know. The minute I said them, though, it just felt right. I felt so much lighter, so much happier. I started to tell my closest friends and each time I did a weight was lifted. Something was changing, I was emerging.

And then one morning Chris stopped me in the kitchen before work. I’d been waiting for the right moment, but he could tell something was going on. I couldn’t lie to him. I went off to stay with my parents for a few days. He found it difficult, I’m pretty sure he still does. We shared a house for months after that, although I’d spend a few nights a week at a friend’s for space.

I felt amazing, but also very alone. None of my friends were gay – I needed to find a community. There was a local lesbian support group so I went along. The first time I went, I stood outside the door, terrified. I don’t like social situations at the best of times, but quickly found my place.

A friend told me about a woman called Sarah who she’d known forever. Sarah came out when she was 12, so we were introduced – she could show me the ropes. We’d go for coffee as friends. I’m just finding who I am, I’d tell myself. I’m not looking for a relationship. We were still officially “friends” the first time we kissed. We were hugging goodbye on the porch at her parents’ place. It just sort of happened. It felt amazing, as if I was floating. We finally admitted to each other that we were dating a few months later. Then, after a week of “staying over”, she just never went home.

My second wedding day was very different to the first. When my car pulled up to the venue, Sarah was there in her wheelchair. We just looked at each other and in that moment we knew this was how it was supposed to be. We kissed and she asked if I was sure about the marriage. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” I replied.

The feeling of being loved and being in love is still so special to me. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Michelle Dorrell: was in the audience at Question Time and then decided to enter politics

We only applied to be in the audience as a joke, really. My partner – now husband – and I were watching Question Time on TV. At the end, the future dates and locations popped up on the screen. They were coming to Dover, just down the road from us. It was supposed to be a laugh. The thing is, I knew people like me don’t get heard: we’re not listened to, and we’re made to feel like we don’t know enough.

The previous few years hadn’t been easy. I’d left school at 16 and worked in call centres until I hit 30, and by then I had four kids and a divorce. Things started to crumble when I was pregnant with number four. My employer made it impossible for me to stay in my job. At 31, I walked into a job centre for the very first time. I had no savings left; I had spent everything to try to stay afloat. I couldn’t make the rent payment, I had no security. I lost all sense of self-worth. Having to tell my kids that I couldn’t afford to buy them Christmas presents will forever be painfully etched into my memory.

I had never voted before the 2015 general election rolled around, but on the day I thought, “Sod it!” I voted Conservative. I believed David Cameron when he said “We’re all in it together.” I believed him when, on national television, he promised not to cut the tax credits that I relied on to survive. And then he did it anyway. I was scared and I felt so let down.

Still, I had no intention of speaking when I took my seat in the studio audience. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. As the recording went on, however, the more wound up I was getting. Something just happened when Amber Rudd started speaking about bringing the country economic security. A ball of anxiety and frustration and anger came flying out of my mouth . I said I voted for her, that I believed their promises and they betrayed me.

I nearly broke down. It was the first time my voice had been heard. It all just came out, live on BBC TV.

The next few days were a blur: every newspaper, TV station and radio show was ringing, reporters showed up at my door. I didn’t know whether to run and hide or to embrace it, but deep inside I knew I deserved to be listened to, just like all other working-class women; people who are struggling; single mums. When things died down I started reading, I met with politicians from different parties. I got involved in my local Labour party. I stayed on the fringes at first while I learned to believe in myself.

That’s how I ended up in a room above my local count after this year’s local elections, shaking and pacing as the ballots were totted up. I had agreed to run as a candidate to be a councillor; if I was going to bemoan the lack of working-class politicians I decided I should practise what I preach. When I realised that I’d been elected I burst into tears – although I made sure the Tories didn’t see me crying.

It feels so wonderful to finally feel that things I say are worth hearing. For a long time I felt worthless. Now I’m making sure I, and my local community, have a voice. I wouldn’t have believed a word of it if you’d told me all this when we applied to be in the Question Time audience. It’s bizarre how something so little ended up changing so much.

Colin Thackery: Chelsea Pensioner who won Britain’s Got Talent at the age of 89

There was always a joke in the family that one day I’d end up at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. We would get leaflets sent to the house once in a while, selling it: “Retire in style,” they said. One evening I threw one on the table at dinner and told Joan, my wife, and the kids that if their mum went first, that’s where I’d go. It never crossed my mind it would actually happen. When she died in 2016 it felt like my life was going into reverse. After 66 years of marriage, I wasn’t sure what would happen. We had met at a barn dance at my army camp in County Durham while we were still kids, and we’d lived all over together, before settling back with our two children in Britain. It wasn’t the first time the future looked uncertain. When I retired from the army at 40, having joined at just 15, I’d felt much the same. But with Joan by my side, I knew we would find a way through. This time I was less certain.

Music had always been my passion. I’d joined the Royal Artillery Band as a drummer as a teenager. I’d sung in the choirs on troop ships to get out of other duties. When we moved to Norfolk, Joan and I had been part of our local operatic society. We did that together for 25 years. And so, while I worked out the move to Chelsea, I carried on singing. If I hadn’t I think I’d have gone barmy.

Moving to the Royal Hospital Chelsea seemed to be the start of the end for me. I felt like I was living in an old folks’ home and I was morose. But after a while a new friend and I started to entertain everyone in our social club once a month after Curry Fridays. Bill would do country and western numbers, I’d take the ballads. I noticed that singing raised my spirits once again.

Stepping off the stage one evening, a bloke came up to me. He’d seen that Britain’s Got Talent had opened auditions, and suggested I apply. I told him not to be silly, why would they want an old man like me?

“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he retorted. And then he dared me to, so I printed the form and sent it off.

There were a few rounds of auditions before I found myself at the filmed audition in front of a packed house at the London Palladium. A harem of female family members whooped as I came on. I’m sure the scarlet coat helped people get behind me. We went for a Chinese after.

By the time it got to the final – and I was announced as the winner – I simply couldn’t believe what was happening. If you watch the broadcast back you’ll see me asking Dec [Declan Donnelly] what was going on. It was very noisy, you see, and I’m slightly deaf. It was extraordinary, I was in a daze.

My whole life has been turned upside down, again, although I’m not complaining. The Royal Variety Show is coming up this month – my aim is to sing in front of the Queen. And there’s an album coming, too, apparently. I’m the oldest person in the world ever to sign a record deal.

If I was a teenager I’m sure I’d be hungry for a huge career, but I’m just enjoying it. It’s never too late, I’ve learned, to do what you love. Just a few years ago I thought everything was over, and now I’m a pop sensation!

• The Observer

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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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Introduction to “Second chance mentality: First chance reality” essay series for JSTOR Access in Prison

“ Second chance mentality: First chance reality ,” presented by JSTOR Access in Prison , is our 2024 contribution to Second Chance Month. Each week we will offer a direct portal into the minds and hearts of experts on incarceration who we hear about, but not from. I hope to foster a deeper understanding and human connection through the lens of prison-based education. We received nearly 200 submissions this year, and thanks to a generous donor, each person who submitted a response received a dictionary and thesaurus, upon the advice of Unbound Authors .

The essence of names and the dignity of self-identification: What do you wish to be called?

This simple question, often taken for granted, carries profound significance in carceral spaces. In the language of incarceration, labels are affixed to people who are incarcerated and they do not have agency to decide how they would like to be addressed. In some facilities, they are reduced to a department identification number. We consulted with The Formerly Incarcerated College Graduate Network for guidance, and were convinced that we should ask people what terminology they prefer. We adhere to people-first language, a respectful and empathetic way of communication that acknowledges individuals as more than their circumstances or actions. It’s a practice rooted in respect, aiming to dismantle preconceptions and emphasize the individuality and worth of each person. Not everyone uses this language, and many of the people submitting essays used the default nomenclature of the system housing them.

A commitment to authentic voices

We have made a conscious decision to publish submissions in their original form – unchanged in language, grammar, or spelling. This approach is not about overlooking “errors” but about valuing authenticity and the unique voice of each contributor. I respect the raw, unfiltered expressions of those who have taken a step to share their realities with us. I am here not to judge or correct but to listen, learn, and understand the depth of experiences conveyed through their words. It is my hope that you share my respect for the sentiment conveyed rather than the syntax employed.

Prison has a paywall

Writing from prison comes with its own set of barriers we don’t have to think about. Limited access to materials, restrictive communication policies, and the pervasive sense of isolation from the outside world pose significant challenges to self-expression. Yet, despite these obstacles, many choose to reach out, to share their stories, reflections, and visions for themselves – a testament to the resilience of people seeking connection. With the average prison wage 15 cents/hour, someone needs to work 4 hours to pay for the stamp. I have a special place in my heart for each person who slipped multiple submissions in the same envelope – an infraction that can lead to solitary confinement.

The importance of authentic representation

Authentic representation matters. In a world where narratives about incarcerated individuals are often shaped by external perceptions and media portrayals, providing a platform for direct expression is vital. Education provides new opportunities for expression, for a person to define their reality on their own terms. This authenticity brings a richness and complexity to our understanding of incarceration, challenging stereotypes and fostering empathy.

Please approach these essays with an open heart and mind. Reading these submissions enlightened, challenged, and inspired me. While other people with histories of incarceration helped review submissions, I made the final determinations myself. Some don’t conform neatly to the topic, but sometimes we learn more by taking the scenic route. I invite you along for this ride through Second Chance Month, so we can navigate together the intricate narratives of second chances and the realities of first chances, as experienced from within the confines of prison.

For more information on the JSTOR Access in Prison initiative, head over to the program page here .

arrow_backward Second Chance 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.

(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. Entering my second year at JSTOR Access in Prison , I thought we could do more to connect people on the outside to the experiences of people living inside carceral facilities. The people most affected by Second Chance Month initiatives are the people whose stories aren’t finished, polished, or readily heard. We decided to ask people affected by the criminal legal system to tell us their thoughts about education and second chances.

Every day in April, JSTOR Access in Prison is releasing a new blog post , written by a person currently or formerly incarcerated. The prompt was intentionally broad to encourage people to engage with the idea of education and second chances in the manner most authentic for them. Some sent essays, some sent research - one submission was a comic strip. Assembling the Second Chance Month collection was as unorthodox as the notion itself.

Aside from help from ITHAKA operations and the editors of American Prison Newspapers to sort and scan the postal mail submissions, I alone made the decisions about which texts to feature from the 302 submissions. Initially, I thought dividing the submissions and farming them out would be efficient and simple. The strategy changed when I read a handwritten submission from a young woman, “Rondessa.” I noticed the return address on the envelope matched the name affixed to a second submission inside. Rondessa’s essay tucked into someone else’s envelope placed both people at significant risk for disciplinary action. If caught, they could be sent to solitary confinement. Even the most thoughtful reader may not have caught that detail, but it suggests a great deal about both women. They probably are friends, are accustomed to sharing resources, and the danger of getting caught was worth an opportunity to be heard. A decade ago I gambled with that calculation myself and lost. I spent 90 days in solitary confinement for the infraction.

The people I work with across all divisions of ITHAKA have been eager to read the submissions and sort through them with me. Rondessa’s essay taught me that nuance would be lost in favor of efficiency. She and her friend were willing to risk what little freedom they had to share their frustrations about education with us. I reread their essays with this perspective and extracted new meaning. Each writer sacrificed something to connect with us, and I realized that only a person with lived experience of incarceration could catch these nuances. I resolved to linger over the stories told alongside the printed narrative in every letter, article, essay and poem in the growing pile. Envelopes, prepaid email accounts, third party submissions, and even the type of pen told me about the writer’s circumstances before I read a single word.

The crooked margins and slanted rows of a typewritten letter stirred memories of hours I spent in the Law Library, furiously pounding on the keys in the time allotted. Just getting to the Law Library is a process: sending a request, waiting for approval, being placed on a schedule, then hoping movement isn’t stopped during the assigned time. Locating a working typewriter is the next challenge, followed by waiting for an officer to bring paper. Officers sometimes review what is typed, and anything not related to legal work is subject to confiscation in many prisons. If a person has their own typewriter, there is time to straighten the paper.

I noticed patterns, too. For instance, every electronic submission came from men, with a few typewritten and even fewer in pen and ink. All submissions from women were delivered via postal mail. Younger writers infused their work with indignation, and those with life sentences tended to struggle with meaning and purpose. Most were drawn to education in search of redemption of one kind or another.

As you journey through these works, I ask only that you suspend judgment on syntax, grammar, and structure. Dare to sit inside these lines with the authors. Consider their education before, during and after imprisonment. These uncensored, unedited, and original works are an invitation to experience Second Chance Month from a different and vital perspective. Real or chosen names are printed where permission was granted. Check here daily for a new installment of humility, grace, bravery, resilience or hope throughout the month.

Thank you for listening.

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Restart your education. Rewrite your success story. The Second Chance Program at BMCC gives students with low GPAs an opportunity to explain their academic history and request special admission.

• Are you thinking about transferring, but your previous GPA is not a 2.0?
• Perhaps your first college experience didn’t show your true capabilities?
• Maybe your first school wasn’t a good fit?
• Maybe you were too young to take it seriously?
• Maybe you had some family or personal matters that needed to take priority?

How to apply for a second chance

• Write an essay. Using less than 500 words, tell us why you would like a second chance to come to college. What lessons have you learned through school and life experiences that will help you make the most of this second chance? How will you change your learning behaviors to support your future success at BMCC and beyond? The best essays answer these questions, have few grammatical errors, and have about three paragraphs.
• Complete an admission application. To be considered for a second chance, you must submit an official CUNY transfer application for admission. If you submitted an application and received a Denial Letter from BMCC, you do not need to submit another application. Please visit the CUNY website to apply.
• Pay the application fee. A $70 transfer application fee is due before we can process your application. Pay online using a credit card or electronic check. If you have already submitted a CUNY Application, you may have already completed this step.
• Submit a Second Chance Form. Let us know you are interested in a Second Chance. Through this form you will provide personal contact information, upload your essay, and attach electronic copies of your college transcripts.

Important note: If you have earned fewer than 24 college credits at all schools you have attended, you will also need to attach a copy of your high school transcript.

To access the Second Chance Form, you will be prompted to log in. Click “create new account” in the bottom left corner of the login box to get started. Accounts are required to submit your transcripts and essay.

• Congratulate yourself! You’ve taken an important first step in continuing your education. You will receive an email regarding our decision within four to six weeks of completing all necessary steps and submitting all transcripts.

When will I find out if I am accepted?

The Second Chance Review Committee meets every month to finalize admissions decisions for second chance applicants. We begin reviewing applications shortly after we receive them.

You can expect to hear from us by email within three weeks after you submit your application.

If you have questions, please use the Ask Me button on this page (lower right corner) to search our Knowledge Base for Second Chance information or to chat with an Admissions representative.

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Forgiveness

4 reasons to give someone a second chance, new research on how forgiveness can actually benefit you..

Posted August 2, 2016 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• The Importance of Forgiveness
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When you’ve been hurt, betrayed , or disappointed by someone you care about, it’s hard to imagine giving that person another chance. Yet forgiveness is a value that is fundamental to human relationships. Giving up on people because they’ve let you down, whether it’s your favorite athlete , a political figure, or your best friend, seems antithetical to that value.

Even though we’re taught to forgive and to give someone an opportunity to make up for past wrongs, not everyone is capable of doing so. In a recent study, University of Bremen psychologist Katja Hanke teamed up with Christin-Melanie Vauclar of the University of Lisbon on a massive analysis of nearly 42,000 participants from 30 countries on cross-cultural variations in the personality trait of forgiveness . Presumably, in countries that emphasize the virtue of forgiveness, people would be more likely to espouse this trait within their own personalities.

As Hanke and Vauclar point out, we tend to think of forgiveness in interpersonal terms: Someone steps on your foot and it really hurts, but to the best of your knowledge, it wasn’t an intentional act. When the person apologizes, you accept it and don’t hold a grudge or strike back. However, forgiveness also has a larger intergroup context. According to the researchers, “Forgiveness seems to be a critical element in breaking cycles of counterviolence in postconflict societies” (p. 217). In other words, perhaps forgiveness might lead to healing and reconciliation among nations.

From the level of the individual to the level of the society, forgiveness seems to make a difference in the preservation of harmony. Analyzing the data from 168 separate studies, Hanke and Vauclar examined the relative ranking of forgiveness on a list of 18 values. Forgiveness ranked eighth overall, beaten out by virtues such as honesty (#1), responsibility (#2), and loving (#3), but it outranked imaginative (#17) and obedient (#18). (The U.S. ranked #4 in citing forgiveness as a value, and Egypt was #1. Poland, Chile, India, and Israel came in at the bottom of the list.)

The authors proposed that country-level factors that influence the espousing of forgiveness as a value were related to almost Maslow-like qualities, such as feelings of stability and safety. These “postmaterialistic” qualities are aided and abetted by time away from conflict. In countries with high levels of concern about safety due to the presence of conflict (such as Israel), forgiveness may fall behind values that reflect the need for protection.

Once a culture becomes more forgiving, there are payoffs for its citizens: As shown in the analysis across studies, there is a positive relationship between the average well-being of people in a culture and the extent to which they value forgiveness. Simply put, being forgiving seems to relate to being happier . Whether happier people are more forgiving (and happier in the first place because their countries are stable) or whether forgiveness leads to happiness and stability can’t be answered by this correlational study. Whatever the causal chain, though, forgiveness and happiness seem linked.

Now we get to the reasons forgiveness—and the associated willingness to give second chances—can benefit you.

With any luck, you live in a culture that places forgiveness high on the value hierarchy. Accidentally bumping into a stranger in the street won’t lead to insults or physical assault, and everyone will feel better as a result of an apology and display of humanity. What else can second chances do for you? These 4 reasons to forgive someone should help to convince you:

• That factor of subjective well-being . You feel happier when you forgive someone else. The cross-national study supported what research on individuals has shown, and suggests that being magnanimous pays off in terms of your own emotional benefits.
• People can change . Additional research on why you should give second chances focuses on the idea that personality isn’t set in stone . People can learn from their mistakes—and when you give them a second opportunity, you allow them to demonstrate this.
• It’s practical and saves emotional energy. You gave your mechanic the job of fixing a defective valve and now it’s broken again. You could hire someone else to fix the fix, but that person will know less than the mechanic who tried the first time. Similarly, your previous romantic partner may have done things that caused you to break up, but when you start with someone new, you’re back to square one. Once your anger subsides, pushing the “reset” button on the first partner may just give you greater insight and appreciation for that relationship.
• You’d like people to treat you the same way. Turn the tables and imagine that it’s you who needs the second chance. Wouldn’t you feel better if you were given an opportunity to try again? Whether it’s the car you’ve been hired to fix or the relationship that took a turn for the worse due to your own mistakes, it’s nice to know that someone is willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself.

When we have the opportunity to show forgiveness to those we interact with, we should: It can improve our outlook on ourselves and the world.

Hanke, K., and Vauclair, C. (2016). Investigating the human value 'forgiveness' across 30 countries: A cross-cultural meta-analytical approach. Cross-Cultural Research: The Journal Of Comparative Social Science , 50(3), 215-230. doi:10.1177/1069397116641085

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. , is a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her latest book is The Search for Fulfillment.

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Home — Application Essay — Law School — A Second Chance

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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Eighth-Graders Reflect on ‘Why Second Chances Are Important’

Seven Irvington Middle School eighth-graders were recognized by Lifting Up Westchester, a nonprofit organization committed to giving individuals in need a second chance, for their participation in the organization’s annual essay contest.

Graham Adams, Morgan Balkin, Miles Demarest, Lila Juenger, Jacob Nierman, Michael Sollecito and Olivia Yin submitted essays on the topic of “Why Second Chances Are Important.” They reflected on what it means to give someone a second chance and describe how they have seen or experienced a second chance in action and what they have learned from it. The essay contest also challenged the students to think through the complexities surrounding the issue.

“Second chances are an essential part of life, and without them, the world would be an extremely different place where if you mess up, that’s it,” Sollecito said. “Where if you make a mistake or error, that’s it. A world without second chances would be a world in which restoring hope would be nearly impossible.”

Juenger said that hope can come from kindness, support, by seeing someone else succeed or by succeeding yourself. Demarest said that since no one is born knowing everything, everyone needs a lesson at some point to teach them what is right and wrong.

“We as a species would not thrive if everything was perfect, because there would be no opportunity to learn and grow,” Adams said. “Making a mistake allows you to learn valuable personal and moral lessons. Getting a second chance means you can apply that hard-fought knowledge and do what is right.”

English language arts teachers Tara Chillemi and Regan DiMenna said their students’ essays were thoughtful and reflective on the importance of providing second chances to those in their community.

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Giving Ex-Offenders a Second Chance Research Paper

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.

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. Based on data released in 2014 that revealed a drop in the federal prison population by 4,800 inmates as of September 2013, it can be asserted that second chances do help in reducing the current recidivism rate.

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.

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A Celebration of Second Chances 2024

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth G. Oyer, and other Justice Department officials deliver remarks at “A Celebration of Second Chances” event in honor of Second Chance Month. The program includes discussions with individuals who have been granted clemency and those in the justice system who supported their petitions. April is Second Chance Month, and the program will highlight and celebrate the Department’s year-round commitment to supporting rehabilitation and redemption.

Related:  Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Delivers Remarks at Justice Department’s “Celebration of Second Chances” Event

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 MiG 3 main list    +

 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 3 172IAP For the Party of Bolsheviks with Nikolai Sheyenko May 1942 01

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3

National origin:- Soviet Union Role:- Fighter Interceptor Manufacturer:- Mikoyan-Gurevich Designer:- First flight:- 29th October 1940 Introduction:- 1941 Status:- Retired 1945 Produced:- 1940-1941 Number built:- 3,422 Primary users:- Soviet Air Forces (VVS); Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO); Soviet Naval Aviation Developed from:- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 Variants:- Mikoyan-Gurevich I-211 Operational history MiG-3s were delivered to frontline fighter regiments beginning in the spring of 1941 and were a handful for pilots accustomed to the lower-performance and docile Polikarpov I-152 and I-153 biplanes and the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. It remained tricky and demanding to fly even after the extensive improvements made over the MiG-1. Many fighter regiments had not kept pace in training pilots to handle the MiG and the rapid pace of deliveries resulted in many units having more MiGs than trained pilots during the German invasion. By 1 June 1941, 1,029 MIG-3s were on strength, but there were only 494 trained pilots. In contrast to the untrained pilots of the 31st Fighter Regiment, those of the 4th Fighter Regiment were able to claim three German high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft shot down before war broke out in June 1941. However high-altitude combat of this sort was to prove to be uncommon on the Eastern Front where most air-to-air engagements were at altitudes well below 5,000 metres (16,000 ft). At these altitudes the MiG-3 was outclassed by the Bf 109 in all respects, and even by other new Soviet fighters such as the Yakovlev Yak-1. Furthermore, the shortage of ground-attack aircraft in 1941 forced it into that role as well, for which it was totally unsuited. Pilot Alexander E. Shvarev recalled: "The Mig was perfect at altitudes of 4,000 m and above. But at lower altitudes it was, as they say, 'a cow'. That was the first weakness. The second was its armament: weapons failure dogged this aircraft. The third weakness was its gunsights, which were inaccurate: that's why we closed in as much as we could and fired point blank." On 22 June 1941, most MiG-3s and MiG-1s were in the border military districts of the Soviet Union. The Leningrad Military District had 164, 135 were in the Baltic Military District, 233 in the Western Special Military District, 190 in the Kiev Military District and 195 in the Odessa Military District for a total of 917 on hand, of which only 81 were non-operational. An additional 64 MiGs were assigned to Naval Aviation, 38 in the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet and 26 in the Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet. The 4th and 55th Fighter Regiments had most of the MiG-3s assigned to the Odessa Military District and their experiences on the first day of the war may be taken as typical. The 4th, an experienced unit, shot down a Romanian Bristol Blenheim reconnaissance bomber, confirmed by postwar research, and lost one aircraft which crashed into an obstacle on takeoff. The 55th was much less experienced with the MiG-3 and claimed three aircraft shot down, although recent research confirms only one German Henschel Hs 126 was 40% damaged, and suffered three pilots killed and nine aircraft lost. The most unusual case was the pair of MiG-3s dispatched from the 55th on a reconnaissance mission to PloieÅŸti that failed to properly calculate their fuel consumption and both were forced to land when they ran out of fuel. Most of the MiG-3s assigned to the interior military districts were transferred to the PVO where their lack of performance at low altitudes was not so important. On 10 July 299 were assigned to the PVO, the bulk of them belonging to the 6th PVO Corps at Moscow, while only 293 remained with the VVS, and 60 with the Naval Air Forces, a total of only 652 despite deliveries of several hundred aircraft. By 1 October, on the eve of the German offensive towards Moscow codenamed Operation Typhoon, only 257 were assigned to VVS units, 209 to the PVO, and 46 to the Navy, a total of only 512, a decrease of 140 fighters since 10 July, despite deliveries of over a thousand aircraft in the intervening period. By 5 December, the start of the Soviet counter-offensive that drove the Germans back from the gates of Moscow, the Navy had 33 MiGs on hand, the VVS 210, and the PVO 309. This was a total of 552, an increase of only 40 aircraft from 1 October. Over the winter of 1941-42 the Soviets transferred all of the remaining MiG-3s to the Navy and PVO so that on 1 May 1942 none were left on strength with the VVS. By 1 May 1942, Naval Aviation had 37 MiGs on strength, while the PVO had 323 on hand on 10 May. By 1 June 1944, the Navy had transferred all its aircraft to the PVO, which reported only 17 on its own strength, and all of those were gone by 1 January 1945. Undoubtedly more remained in training units and the like, but none were assigned to combat units by then.

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