Second Chance for Justice

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, I grew up in Pacoima, California, a working-class neighborhood that was unjustly targeted by the justice system. It is a community that I am proud to currently represent.

There are kids like Jerome Dixon, who was wrongfully incarcerated as a child and locked up for 20 years because he was pressured into giving a false confession after 25 hours of interrogation without having an adult or a parent present with him. He spent 20 years of his life behind bars for a crime that he did not commit.

For over 25 years, I have worked to fix a broken system that has prioritized stuck-on-stupid incarceration over proven, effective rehabilitation. That is why, last week, I announced the ``Second Chance for Justice Package'' with my colleagues, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Senator Cory Booker.

These bills further invest in youth development and crime prevention programs. They will make our communities safer, reduce expenses for taxpayers, and demonstrate a real commitment to treating children with dignity.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting these commonsense bills. We owe our children a system that works with them, not one that is out to get them.

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