{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcgarvey-introduces-bill-to-invest-in-entrepreneurship-reduce-recidivism", "Rep. McGarvey Introduces Bill to Invest in Entrepreneurship, Reduce Recidivism", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "KY", "Morgan McGarvey", "M001220", "mcgarvey.house.gov", "mcgarvey", "https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 26, 2024) \u2013 This week, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03) and Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) introduced H.R. 9841, the Prison to Proprietorship for the Formerly Incarcerated Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide in-depth entrepreneurship training to formerly- incarcerated individuals looking to start a business or enter the workforce.\n\n\u201cNearly all incarcerated people will complete their sentence and return to their community\u2014we have to make sure that we\u2019re laying a strong foundation for success post-incarceration,\u201d said Rep. McGarvey. \u201cBy providing a path to entrepreneurship for formerly-incarcerated Americans, my bill not only works to reduce recidivism, but also gives returning citizens the tools they need to start a business and achieve their American dream.\"\n\nThe Prison to Proprietorship for the Formerly Incarcerated Act would direct SCORE\u2014a program within the Small Business Administration that offers free or low-cost mentorship and training to entrepreneurs\u2014to provide formerly incarcerated individuals with one-on-one mentoring, workshops, and online instruction specifically tailored to their unique needs.\n\n\u201cAround 95% of incarcerated people get released and end up back on the streets,\u201d said Rep. Burchett. \u201cWe need to make sure they\u2019re prepared to rejoin their communities, and teaching them entrepreneurial skills helps them get a fresh start.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nDespite steps to reform and improve our criminal justice system, returning citizens face significant barriers to reentering the workforce, and studies have shown that recidivism rates tend to be higher for those individuals who lack employment. As reported by the Council for State Governments, states spent an estimated $8 billion on reincarceration costs for people who exited prison in 2022, and The Department of Justice estimates that 82 percent of individuals released from state prisons were rearrested at least once during the 10 years following release.\n\nPrograms that teach formerly incarcerated individuals leadership skills, financial literacy, networking, and how to develop a business plan reduce recidivism and create more opportunities for returning citizens. As the flagship agency tasked with supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, the Small Business Administration has the expertise and experience to teach those skills.\n\nView text of the bill here.\n\nA one pager for the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcgarvey-introduces-bill-to-invest-in-entrepreneurship-reduce-recidivism"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3945389073342085, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}