Each April, Second Chance Month highlights the idea that people can rebuild their lives after prison. The focus is on responsibility, growth and the possibility of moving forward after a sentence has been completed. However, that message also raises a difficult question about public safety.

LA programs light the path to reintegration during Second Chance Month.

The role of visitation in correctional settings is more than simply offering incarcerated people the chance to see loved ones — it plays a vital part in rehabilitation, maintaining social ties and preparing for successful reentry into society.

Is it just a want that the incarcerated can live without, or is it a necessity?

Could the creation of an honor yard at the California Institute for Men change the lives of those on the inside, and inevitably, life on the outside as well?

What if the key to safer communities was not harsher punishments, but smarter rehabilitation?