Franklin County Recognizes Second Chance Month With Focus on Reentry

April is Second Chance Month, a national effort established in 2017 by Prison Fellowship Ministry to highlight the importance of supporting people reentering society after involvement with the criminal justice system. At the April 28 General Session, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners recognized the month and the county's growing role as a reentry partner.

Shana Sanders, Reentry Services Coordinator with the Office of Justice Policy and Programs, addressed the Board on the work her office has led. OJPP's signature event, the All Hands on Deck Reentry Resource Fair, has provided direct service to an average of 197 residents per event over the past three years. Each attendee came in with a need and left with a next step, Sanders told the Board.

The work aligns with the priorities of the Franklin County Reentry Advisory Board and the Rise Together Poverty Blueprint, both of which focus on breaking down structural barriers and creating pathways to stability and economic mobility.

Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce signaled that the county's next phase of mental health work will focus on returning citizens. Franklin County has already produced a comprehensive resource guide for mental health services in Central Ohio, and Boyce said the Board plans to convene a conversation in the coming months specifically addressing the mental health needs and available resources for people coming out of the justice system.

"This is an underserved population for this work," Boyce said.

The Board also approved Resolution 270-26, expanding the Common Pleas Court Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative from one courtroom to seven. That expansion, funded through a federal Second Chance Act grant, adds a full-time case manager through the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services to identify and support families affected by parental incarceration.