Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 102

Joe Molieri/Bread for the World

Br. Mike Murphy,
founder of the HELP
Program, meets with
a HELP participant.
Through mentorship and
personal investment, Br.
Mike works to re-build
the lives of ex-offenders/
returning citizens.

92? Chapter 3

he learned that the bill had passed. He and his brothers in the HELP Program had won
their battle for change. It didn’t occur to him until later that the legislation that had prevented him from getting a job as a barber had been repealed. TJ had learned to cut hair
while in prison, but under the old law he could not obtain a barber’s license. The thinking
behind the law was based on the belief that the cash transactions between barbers and
their customers provide an opportunity to launder money.
Ohio’s SB 337 would not have
been possible without the federal
Second Chance Act. The fact that
two Ohio legislators were lead
sponsors of the federal law and that
Governor Kasich had been a colleague of theirs in Congress made a
big difference to its chances of passage. The bill was presented to the
public as a measure to reduce recidivism—and save money. According
to a 2011 report by the Pew Center
on the States, Ohio could see more
than $24 million in cost savings by
reducing recidivism by 10 percent.8
Nationwide, more than four in 10
ex-offenders return to state prison
within three years of their release,
according to the report.9
The advocacy work done by the )??????????!1@?A??????????????????????????????????M??????????M????A???)????????Q???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????M?????????????????????????????????????????????)?????]???????????))???????q???????????????????????????????????????t????M?????????????q$?????????)????????????????????????A???????t????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????!1@?A??????5??????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????()M???????]???
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