Welcome to Virginia Needs A Second Chance, a multimedia storytelling project that seeks to change the narrative about people who are or have been incarcerated.
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From Hampton to Richmond, from South Boston to Christiansburg, the exhibit features eight storytellers who’ve been touched by the Virginia prison system. No one should be defined by their worst mistake -- and everyone deserves a second chance.
VISIT THE EXHIBIT
You can see our "Virginia Needs A Second Chance" Exhibition from September 6 to September 30, 2024. It's FREE and open to the public anytime the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library is open (see visiting hours below).
But there are two other ways you can see the exhibit, too:
- Want an interactive experience? Join us for one of our special events! Check out the details below to decide which event is right for you.
- Can't make it to Richmond? Check out our storytellers' portraits and digital excerpts of their stories below.
JOIN OUR EVENTS!
MEET OUR STORYTELLERS
Society often focuses on the circumstances that lead people to prison -- not on what people do when they regain their freedom.
Virginia Needs A Second Chance spotlights the growth and evolution that spurred our formerly incarcerated storytellers to become entrepreneurs, advocates, community organizers, and mentors who give back to communities across the Commonwealth. They share in their own words how they overcame their incarceration, how they are giving back, and what a second chance means to them.
As you look into the eyes of our storytellers, ask yourself: What could Virginia be like if more people got a second chance?
MORE STORIES
This exhibit isn't the only place you can find stories of people who have worked hard in prison and when they come home to earn a second chance.
More stories of Second Chances are here.
And we have stories about earned sentence credits -- one of the only ways Virginia incentivizes people who are in prison to get the skills they need to succeed when they come home. The vast majority of people in Virginia prisons will one day come home. The earned sentence credit program makes sure that when they do, they’re ready to succeed.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ESC CLIENTS
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Library Hours
Monday through Thursday: 9 AM - 8 PM
Friday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
Sunday: Closed in August
Parking
Parking is available on-street around the library. There is a surface lot at 1st and E. Grace Streets and a deck at 2nd and E. Franklin Streets. The parking spaces behind the library in the lot are permit-only. Bicycle lanes have been added to East Franklin Street and the library provides bike racks for your convenience.
For additional parking options, check out this online tool.
Accessibility
Richmond Public Library is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and elevators for easy navigation.
Richmond Public Library also offers free Sensory Kits to help manage sensory overload. They are available at the circulation desk to check out during your visit for those with sensory sensitivities or needs. The kits contain mesh marble fidget toys, rubber fidget toy, noise-canceling headphones, communication cards, a notebook, and crayons. Please return the items before leaving the library.
Eat Nearby
These restaurants are within walking distance from the exhibit.
