We are standing on the doorstep of a historic milestone. As our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, the air is filled with talk of the nation’s greatness and a golden age in the country. But as we consider the State of the Union, we have to ask a difficult question: Who is the “US” in “Justice”?
For the over 70 million American adults (1 in 3) living with a conviction history, the “State of the Union” goes far beyond a speech and is a daily navigation of an adversarial landscape filled with “No Vacancy” signs and “Not Eligible” checkboxes. While we celebrate historic lows in crime, the reality of reentry has become a gauntlet of heightened systemic barriers.
At JustLeadershipUSA and the JustUS Coordinating Council, we believe the strength of our union is measured by the floor, not the ceiling. If we want a union that is truly fit for celebration, we must strengthen two fundamental pillars: access to basic human needs and opportunities for economic mobility.
The Foundation: Bread and Belonging
You cannot build a life without access to basic human needs. Yet, in 2026, 21 states still enforce SNAP bans for those with past drug felonies. In places like South Carolina, that exclusion is a lifetime sentence. We continue to advocate for the RESTORE Act of 2025 to end this federal “hunger penalty” once and for all. Stability starts with “Day One” food security and ongoing access is equally important. Through the Training Nutrition Stability Act, those earning while learning will not have their income counted against their income limitations for nutrition access. These measures help ensure people expanding economic mobility have access to nutrition for both themselves and their families. When all people have access to the basics, everyone is safer. And when people reentering society have this basic access, we are setting up individuals to be successful employees, tax payers, and members of our community. We can’t wait for a Farm Bill that finally gets this right; change is needed at all levels of policymaking.
The Crisis of Care
The fentanyl crisis doesn’t care about politics; it cares about vulnerability. The first 90 days post-release are the deadliest for overdose risk. While we’ve seen progress through mandatory Medicaid suspensions (instead of terminations) and 1115 Reentry Medicaid waivers implemented in many states, we are approaching a new horizon. By the end of this year, new federal work requirements for Medicaid could create a “paperwork purge,” disenfranchising those with acute health needs as they navigate reentry. Solutions found within the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, Reentry Act, and Due Process Continuity of Care Act can help extend access to peer recovery, supportive housing, and continuous coverage policies that actually keep people alive. Protecting continuity of care not only impacts the lives of those reentering, it also preserves and extends the valuable public resources of health departments and hospitals, many of whom are already grappling with their own policy challenges. The push to lower prescription drug costs misses the mark when those most at risk of overdose and chronic disease are locked out of access.
The Economic Engine: Skilled, Loyal, and Barred
In today’s tight labor market, the greatest untapped resource in America is impacted talent. Statistics show that workers with a conviction history have 13% higher retention rates than traditional hires. While we remain encouraged about eased Small Business Administration (SBA) lending and new apprenticeship efforts, we are also fighting a tide of deregulation. Proposed shifts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could weaken longstanding protections against discriminatory lending practices, and new housing rules threaten to bring back blanket exclusions. We cannot call for economic mobility while simultaneously slamming the door to opportunity for people with a conviction history.
This July, the launch of “Workforce Pell” will be a game-changer for short-term training in fields like advanced manufacturing, construction trades, and tech. But there’s a catch: If the “employment window” requirements are too narrow, prison education program professionals are locked out of leveraging these new resources. While these Pell policies will be of benefit to members who have already returned to community, an opportunity to enhance education in prisons may be missed.
As these limited federal opportunities continue to be implemented, however, the protections and enforcement actions available in the workplace are disappearing from the enforcement purview of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Fair chance employment remains a priority for many communities, but these chances could be undermined by hostile workplaces, biased employment practices, and a labor market plagued with uncertainty. Our country must also acknowledge that the state of our union is still one that ignores the plight of individuals who are incarcerated and forced to work for pennies on the dollar (if compensated at all). Forced labor can and must be reimagined as preparation for careers upon release, and it must be compensated appropriately. Solutions found in The Fresh Start Act can help prepare individuals to be entrepreneurs while the TWICE Act eases pathways to work requiring Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Individuals who are incarcerated are seeking opportunities to learn, train, and excel as they—and the other 95% of our incarcerated neighbors—prepare to return to community.
Beyond the Rhetoric: Giving Voice to a Fair Chance
We have to talk about the power of words. When we hear rhetoric from high-profile investigations, read inconsistent policy signals, or are subjected to broad exclusions, it sends a message that second chances are conditional and that some conviction types are not deserving of access to opportunities. But a second chance isn’t a gift. We are seeking a fair chance, which is a requirement for a functioning democracy, safer communities, and a healthy economy. Whether it’s through the Clean Slate Act to automate record sealing or the push for broader judicial discretion from new Sentencing Commission amendments, the goal is the same: recognizing the ability for change and the opportunity of a fair chance. While we continue to celebrate legislative and regulatory wins for impacted consumers, record accuracy, enforcement of civil rights protections, the absence of the voices of people with lived experience in design and implementation continue to dilute legislative intention and impact.
Our voices will continue to be sidelined so long as our constitutional right to vote is stripped from us. As the electorate continues to be reshaped by redistricting efforts across the country, the fact remains that 25 states still restrict voting for directly impacted citizens. By restricting the voice of people who have returned to society, our policymakers create a gap in civic participation that weakens communities. Policymakers who want to safeguard election integrity must do so not through new documentation requirements, but rather through ensuring administrative requirements don’t overshadow the fundamental right to vote. A resilient democracy is one where all citizens’ voices are heard in order to form a more perfect union.
The people navigating these complexities are not just “cases” to be managed, monitored, or cleared. We are entrepreneurs, parents, and leaders. We are People with Lived Experience, the experts in what works. As we look toward the next 250 years of this American experiment, it is time to stop building a union for “some of us” and start building a state of JustUS for all of us.