H 5495

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5495
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A house RESOLUTION
to declare April 2026 as "second chance month" in
south carolina and to commend soteria community development corporation on its
outstanding work in assisting formerly incarcerated individuals to reenter
society.
Whereas, the South
Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the critical services
provided by the Soteria Community Development Corporation (CDC), a ministry
established by Jerry Blassingame that assists formerly incarcerated individuals
in reentering society and becoming productive citizens; and
Whereas, individuals
returning from prison and those who have paid their debt after committing a
crime face significant barriers. They often struggle to obtain housing,
employment, education, regain voting rights, or volunteer in their community.
In addition, these individuals often must pay for significant debt that arises
as a result of their conviction and incarceration; and
Whereas, with a passion
for reaching individuals whose lives have been impacted by crime, Soteria CDC
provides individuals with the necessary essentials, including housing, job
training, and discipleship programs that they need to transition smoothly back
into society; and
Whereas, from 2021
through 2023, only three percent of the men and women who completed six months
of the program and zero percent of those who completed twelve months of the
program served by Soteria CDC have returned to prison, a much lower percentage
than the state average of more than twenty-one percent; and
Whereas, Soteria CDC
opened its first transitional home for men in 2001 with a four-bed capacity.
By 2005, the ministry had expanded to include reentry services for women.
After adding additional homes and later converting them into low-income rental
properties, the Soteria House in Travelers Rest was opened in 2018, a
sixteen-bed residential housing facility for men; and
Whereas, Greenville
County incarcerates more women than any other county in South Carolina.  To
serve those women navigating the obstacles to reentering society, Soteria CDC
opened a sixteen-bed transitional housing facility for women in May 2022,
mirroring the men's program by offering housing, job training, and life-skills
classes; and
Whereas, recognizing
the importance of providing support to individuals reentering society following
incarceration, the House of Representatives is pleased to designate April as
"Second Chance Month" in order to contribute to increased public awareness
about the need for closure for those who have paid their debt and to encourage
the creation of opportunities for individuals, employers, congregations, and
communities to extend second chances.  Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the
South Carolina House of Representatives,
by this resolution, declare April 2026 as "Second Chance Month" in South
Carolina and commend Soteria Community Development Corporation on its
outstanding work in assisting formerly incarcerated individuals to reenter
society.
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This web page was last updated on April 02, 2026 at 11:04 AM