Without a doubt, Americans are concerned about crime. In 2022, Gallup reported that a record 56% of Americans believed crime had gone up in their area, though crime rates, with the important exception of homicides, remain near historical lows. Despite an 18-year slide in crime that included the height of bipartisan criminal justice reform efforts, Gallup’s follow-up survey in January 2023 found that nearly 75% of Americans believe crime will go up this year.

As lawmakers look to address crime rates and public unease, they should opt for approaches that not only address crime but also help prevent it. The criminal justice system is reactive - it only comes into play after harm has been done. That’s why this shortsighted approach simply won’t meet the needs of communities across this country who want real solutions.

If we focus all of our resources on locking people up but ignore the fact that 57% of those in prison will return home within two years, we compound the harm to society and delay the development of lasting solutions. Americans deserve criminal justice solutions that consider the full scope of what’s needed for community safety and well-being. One proven piece of the public safety conversation, which undoubtedly requires a quilt of strategies and services, is the power of second chances.

Prison Fellowship and hundreds of partner organizations, including The Just Trust, celebrate the untapped potential of the more than 70 million Americans with a criminal record during Second Chance Month . We expect more than half of the nation’s governors to join us with proclamations designating April 2023 as Second Chance Month. This is a valuable place to begin, but our nation needs more.

We need an enduring culture of second chances because people can and do change. From the first steps of their journey, each person entering the criminal justice system needs opportunities to choose a different path, tools to embrace accountability and transformation, and a fair chance to contribute to their fullest potential — inside prison and after release. In five decades of work, Prison Fellowship has seen that people our society has written off can become leaders who give back to their communities. People who commit crimes need to be held accountable, but leading with punishment and not setting people up for success hasn't gotten us anywhere. For the 450,000 returning home each year, investing in second chances makes us stronger and safer.

We need a culture of second chances because we all have much to gain or lose. Having a family member incarcerated is now an experience that affects roughly half of all Americans — and traps many families and children in economic instability and reduced opportunity. When my older brother was struggling with a substance use disorder, it was hard for me (Ana) to process this as a child. He would be gone for months at a time, on the streets, in jail, or in prison. His addiction affected us all in ways that reverberate today. Instead of accountability fostering change, the criminal justice system offered punishment for punishment’s sake. Even when he made progress, the shame and stigma of his past choices stayed with him, and with us, like a shadow we couldn’t outrun.

Approximately 44,000 collateral consequences of a criminal record of arrest, conviction, or incarceration affect the lives of one in three Americans. These barriers to full participation in society subtract from the safety and success of our neighbors. But when they have access to safe housing, meaningful employment, education, entrepreneurship, and opportunities for civic engagement, they can be safer, healthier, and more prosperous.

I (Heather) have a nephew by marriage who was the best man at my wedding. His current incarceration has taken an emotional and financial toll on his children. When he gets out, he wants to be their provider. My hope is that by the time of his release, we will have made enough progress on second chances that his past won’t shut him out of the opportunity to build a career and care for his family.

Americans want their leaders to deliver on criminal justice solutions that heal and rehabilitate people while protecting public safety. We can and must do both. This means avoiding traps that led to overcrowded prisons in the past, and instead taking a measured approach that includes proven options such as second chances. We need leaders to invest in our shared future — not weaponize our fear.

Offering second chances is the right thing to do, and it’s an indispensable ingredient of public safety. Leaning into what works, we must never forget truly important questions: Will the solutions our leaders propose prevent crime? Will they promote justice? Will they help make sure that harm never happens again, and that everyone involved has an opportunity to heal?

Ana Zamora is the founder and CEO of  The Just Trust . Heather Rice-Minus is the executive vice president of strategic initiatives at  Prison Fellowship .