PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — April is National Second Chance Month, raising awareness for criminal justice reform and the need to unlock opportunities for formerly incarcerated people who are re-entering society.
“You can’t just say it will never be me,” said Naomi Blount Wilson, who served 37 years in prison, at a Road to Redemption event at Eastern State Penitentiary in Fairmount on Tuesday.
She has been out of prison for about two-and-a-half years after her conviction for first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, and possessing the instrument of crime.
Blount Wilson told the crowd at the prison-turned-museum that she got caught up in drugs and alcohol, and with a bad crowd. She didn’t kill anyone but was with someone who did, and both suspects got lengthy sentences.
Blount Wilson added she has a lot to offer society, and she is now working for the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor’s office as a commutations specialist. She is also working on establishing a second chance house in North Philadelphia.
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“A lot of people don’t have places to go,” said Blount Wilson. “In fact, some people are still on the inside because we don’t have a place to send them. So I was thinking that if I could open a Naomi Second Chance House, then it would be something available for those people who are coming home, and who knows better what they will need when they come home.”
State Senator Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, said the commonwealth sentences more people for longer amounts of time than most places in the world, and gives few opportunities for second chances. Pennsylvania is one of six states that does not give parole opportunities to those serving life sentences.
“You have to remember these are folks who have had decades to think about their biggest mistakes and how they would make things better,” said Street. “The reality is, they tend to.”
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Street said it costs the state around $100,000 per year to incarcerate senior citizens who statistically are not likely to recidivate at all. He believes second chance legislation needs to pass in the state legislature so more people can return home to their families.
Maria Goellner, Pennsylvania state director for FAMM — formerly Families Against Mandatory Minimums — said such legislation appears to have a bipartisan interest.
“I work with some of the most progressive [and] some of the most conservative lawmakers. All of them are interested in this issue,” said Goellner.
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“No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, this issue affects people in your district. It’s fiscally irresponsible. We are separating families. There really is something in this issue for everybody.”
A group called Prison Fellowship began observing Second Chance Month in 2017, saying that 1 in 3 Americans have a criminal record which limits opportunities including jobs, housing, and education.
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