Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Delivers Remarks at the Justice Department’s Second Chance Event

 Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good morning, and thank you so much, Liz, for that very generous introduction. It’s great to have everyone here. And thank you, especially Liz to you and your team for all the incredibly hard work that goes into getting this Great Hall filled and putting together what is truly a celebration.

Even more importantly, I want to thank Liz and her team for the strong and effective leadership that they are showing—and that she is showing as our Pardon Attorney—in the work that they do every day.

Your dedication to the clemency review process reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring the opportunity for second chances.

I also want to welcome the many guests we have with us this morning, including one of my predecessors as Deputy Attorney General—David Ogden, my good friend is here. Thank you for being here.   

I want to recognize the members of the bench and the bar here today. Especially those of you from the Federal Defender and public defender community. Your work is vital to the second chances that we celebrate today.

I am glad to see so many Justice Department officials here, both past and present, and to recognize the critical role you all play in reviewing and advancing clemency petitions.

But most importantly, I am glad to see this Great Hall filled with so many people who are here to celebrate their incredible second-chance stories.

Clemency—and the second that chance it brings—removes barriers to successful reentry. It helps individuals start fresh so they can secure employment, safe housing, health care, educational opportunities, and the right to vote.

The clemency process can also address outdated enforcement or sentencing policies, including those that would otherwise have a disproportionate impact.

As we mark Second Chance month—it’s the right time to reflect on the promise presented by a new opportunity, a fresh start, and a chance for redemption.

The second-chance stories represented here today by many of you serve as an inspiration to those of us who work in the criminal justice system.

And your stories also serve as an inspiration for those still working toward a second chance.

At the Justice Department we are committed to doing all we can, to—in the words of the President’s Proclamation marking Second Chance month—“helping people forge the new beginnings they have earned and building a safer and more just society.” 

To do that, and in order to foster more second chances, we are launching a new pilot project—a collaboration between the Office for Access to Justice and the Bureau of Prisons.

It will provide incarcerated individuals in Bureau of Prisons facilities with no-cost legal support to resolve common civil legal issues that may create barriers to reentry.

This initiative will help with some of the most common challenges that individuals face toward a productive reentry to society, like family legal matters and managing debt issues. 

This project speaks to the importance of finding ways to support individuals as they rejoin their communities and become productive members and good neighbors.

I’m proud of these and other efforts across the department to pursue justice and to help forge new beginnings—especially the work of the Pardon Attorney’s Office —in their thoughtful and compassionate consideration of clemency applications.

Finally—a word of thanks to the advocates who work tirelessly and skillfully on behalf of those seeking a second chance. Your efforts are in the finest tradition of the legal profession, and you do a great service to the country through your advocacy.

Thank you all for the being here this morning. Thank you for sharing your inspiring stories, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about the rest of this celebration. Thanks so much for having me.